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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 Ben plan to win in his senior year?

2. What does Hey-Soos tell Ben about Ben's interaction with people?

3. Why does Ben think his relationship with Dallas is getting complicated?

4. What is the first thing Ben thinks about after hearing about his illness?

5. What does Ben think most people do in their senior year of high school?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How does Lambeer find out what Ben is reading and what does he say about it?

3. What does the doctor tell Ben and what does the doctor do to be certain about his information?

4. What is happening to Ben in Lambeer's class, what project does Ben decide upon and what is Lambeer's opinion of the project?

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

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

7. Where does Dr. Wagner take Ben to learn more about his illness, what does he learn, and what does Ben decide to do for treatment?

8. What does Ben find when he stops at Rudy's and what does Ben find out there? What does Rudy show him?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Oftentimes, a book has more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and sometimes it is the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "Deadline" is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 3

Ben is learning how to cope with this new situation, trying to define the proper time to let the truth out, and he is trying to understand those around him. In this chapter, he seems to have found himself. With confidence, he turns away the new therapist and stands up to his teacher. He does it respectfully and with a solid plan. Ben shows that he is listening to Hey-Soos and is willing to look at people from a different perspective.

1. Do you think Ben would have acquired his confidence if he had not been dying? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. What do you think Ben has learned about the people around him by listening to them and talking about them to Hey-Soos? How has his situation enabled him to look at people differently? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Ben is trying to figure out when and how to tell people about his illness. Dallas reacts in anger. Why do you think Dallas gets angry at him and do you think she should forgive him automatically because he is dying? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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