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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 Linda's boyfriend do for a living?

2. What does Florida believe about herself that makes Linda think Florida might be slightly unbalanced?

3. What university failed to offer Bruce Adler tenure, to his disappointment?

4. Why does Benjamin think he got shot in the army, at least in part?

5. Who is the woman who runs the NTSB's investigation into the crash?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part I, how does Edward feel about going to live with Lacey and John?

2. In Part I, what is immediately the most unusual and extraordinary circumstance about the plane crash?

3. In Part I, why does Edward begin sleeping in Shay's bedroom every night?

4. Why are the Adlers moving from New York to Los Angeles?

5. Why does Linda think that Florida might be a little off-balance when they begin talking on the plane?

6. Why does Jane Adler sit in first class, away from her husband and two sons?

7. What is Linda Stollen thinking about when she boards the plane in Newark?

8. In Part I, how does Edward feel about the President's phone call to him in the hospital?

9. What is Crispin Cox thinking about right after he boards the plane in Part I?

10. What does Principal Arundhi propose to Edward when he first meets him to try to forge a connection with Edward?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why is Edward so distraught when Shay finally tells him he cannot continue sleeping in her room? How does her setting this boundary change their relationship for a while? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the relationship between Jordan and Edward Adler. How does reading Mahira's letter, and later meeting her, change Edward's perception of both his relationship with his brother and his own grieving experience?

Essay Topic 3

How does Napolitano's choice to alternate between the present day and the events of the day of the plane crash affect the reader's experience of this novel and the reader's understanding of the characters' development? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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