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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the song Ben hears on his player say about dying?

2. Why does Ben go to the doctor about a month before his senior year begins?

3. How old is Ben at the beginning of this book?

4. When did Cody become the school quarterback?

5. Why does Ben's doctor call him after his appointment?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Ben and Cody find when they get home, what does it tell them and what does their father say about the situation?

2. What are Ben's two other main goals for his senior year besides his academic goal?

3. How does Ben act when he receives the information from the doctor, and what is his first thought about the information?

4. What does Ben want to do for his senior year, where does he live and how does he do in school?

5. How does Ben find out he might have a serious physical illness, and how does Ben insist he learn about this illness?

6. What does Ben do after he leaves the doctor's office upon receiving the bad news and what does he say to the doctor when he returns to his office?

7. Where does Ben go after he leaves Dallas's house and what is bothering him?

8. What does Ben want from his teachers in his senior year, what teacher is going to be a problem with his goal, and why might the teacher be an impediment?

9. What does Hey-Soos say to Ben about Dallas's sharing, and why is Ben worried?

10. What does Ben do about the Horseshoe Bend game, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The reader sees a connection which can explain even more why Ben has so much admiration for Coach. The man is dedicated to academic studies even during the football season. He is also very open-minded. He has no problem with Ben reading the Malcolm X book, and when another student voices the opinion that the book is bad, Coach turns the situation into a lesson on democracy and book burning. He knows how to reach the students and keep an open mind.

1. Discuss the stereotype of coaches not caring about academics and whether you believe that is true or not. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think the coach burning the book was wrong? Do you think it was a good demonstration? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think students' reading should be censored by the school? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Over the course of "Deadline", Rick grows as a person in both complexity and understanding. Deadline might be considered a slice of Rick's larger story of his "coming of age." It might be said that Deadline is a "bildungsroman" of Rick Fisher. Discuss the following:

1. Define Bildungsroman, or "Coming of Age," and give several examples from literature you have read.

2. Trace and analyze the character of Rick as he changes from a more carefree, innocent boy to a wiser, young man. What are the significant events that change Rick?

3. After thoroughly analyzing Rick's growth throughout "Deadline", do you think "Deadline" could be considered Rick's Coming of Age story? Why or why not?

4. Are there any other characters in "Deadline" who go through a Coming of Age experience? Who? Why do you think so?

Essay Topic 3

The day after Rudy dies, Ben goes to the courthouse. His conversation with the sheriff gets him thinking about the value of life. The man seemed more interested in talking about the football game than he did in dealing with the life of the town drunk. That day Ben has a hard time concentrating because the events of the past few months have Ben really thinking about people and their lives. He thinks about factors in their lives that contributed to the way each person ended out.

1. Do you think Ben handled the situation with Rudy correctly? Do you think he should have called the police right after Rudy told him? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Why do you think people devalue a human life if it is someone like the town drunk? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Chose either Ben, Rudy, Dallas or Sooner and discuss how the factors in his or her life contributed to how that person became who he or she is. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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