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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Codell tell B. B., which she later apologizes for?
(a) She says he is acting like a jerk.
(b) She says B. B. deserved all the beatings his mother gave him.
(c) She says she wishes B. B. was not in her class.
(d) She tells B. B. he's very likely to end up in a street gang.

2. According to Codell, what is "education's best-kept secret"?
(a) If parents were more involved in teaching, it would actually make things worse.
(b) Teachers being personally invested in their teaching methods make them accountable.
(c) Principals do absolutely nothing to help teachers.
(d) A sticker award system will make fifth-graders more motivated to learn than anything else.

3. How does Codell teach the students to multiply double-digit numbers?
(a) By having the students create an Aesop's Fable about the numbers.
(b) By staging a Jeopardy-style game show.
(c) By creating an elaborate flashcard system.
(d) By using "cha-cha" dance steps.

4. In Codell's reading group method, what role does the "language lover" play?
(a) Guessing what comes next in the plot of the book.
(b) Making questions up about the book.
(c) Defining difficult words in the text.
(d) Reading passages out loud.

5. In the Epilogue, what emotion does Esme associate with her former students?
(a) Euphoria.
(b) Anger.
(c) Bitterness.
(d) Regret.

6. How does Codell teach Melanie to control her destructive urges?
(a) Codell tells her that when she has a "funny feeling" in her stomach telling her to commit a crime, she should find Codell instead.
(b) Codell calls a parent-teacher conference to explain the issue to Melanie's mother.
(c) Codell tells Melanie to think about sitting on the beach in Hawaii, rather than committing the crime.
(d) Codell refuses to let Melanie check out any books from the classroom library unless Melanie stops.

7. What is the former occupation of Esme's current principal (as of the Epilogue)?
(a) Civil engineer.
(b) Army colonel.
(c) School librarian.
(d) College professor.

8. What gift does Codell receive from her students on the last day of school?
(a) A beautiful crystal serving tray.
(b) A pop-up greeting card with all the children's signatures.
(c) A sari.
(d) A golden scarf with all the children's signatures.

9. What does JoEllen ask Codell during sexual education?
(a) JoEllen wonders what her mom meant by the term "abortion."
(b) JoEllen wonders if sex involves goldfish.
(c) JoEllen wonders if she will eventually lay an egg.
(d) JoEllen wonders if sex has to take place underwater.

10. When Mr. Turner sees Codell and several of her students wearing saris, what does he think?
(a) He believes Codell is mocking his own wearing of a sari two weeks earlier.
(b) He believes Codell is a terrible influence on her students.
(c) He believes Codell is having a cultural festival.
(d) He believes Codell is performing an open act of defiance.

11. Why is Ozzie becoming ill at school?
(a) Ozzie is eating Elmer's glue.
(b) Ozzie's nausea is purely psychosomatic.
(c) Ozzie has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
(d) Fearful of going hungry, Ozzie eats several hamburgers at a time during lunch.

12. What is the "last straw" that causes Codell to force Mr. Turner to suspend B. B.?
(a) B. B. calls her a bad name.
(b) B. B. steals a book.
(c) B. B. sneaks into the girls' bathroom.
(d) B. B. refuses to do his homework.

13. How does Codell prepare her students for the Storytelling Festival?
(a) She gives them voice lessons.
(b) She has them dress as the main character of their story.
(c) She makes them memorize their stories forwards as well as backwards.
(d) She has them practice telling their stories in younger-aged classes.

14. How does the class do on the yearly standardized tests the district administers?
(a) The class scores the best in the state.
(b) The class scores third-best out of all the fifth-grade classes in the school.
(c) The class performs poorly, and Codell is disappointed and disillusioned.
(d) The class scores best out of all the fifth-grade classes in the school.

15. How is the Fairy Tale Festival related to the Storyteller Festival?
(a) Codell gets to use several ideas from the Storyteller Festival for the Fairy Tale Festival.
(b) Ms. Coil enthusiastically endorses both festivals.
(c) At both festivals, Mr. Turner scolded Codell with entirely minor criticisms.
(d) Codell gets to use several ideas from the Fairy Tale Festival for the Storyteller Festival.

Short Answer Questions

1. What ultimate fear does Codell express about Melanie?

2. Why is Codell's day spoiled on April 11th?

3. What kind of people too often dominate public education, according to Trelease?

4. What kind of film does Codell show for sexual education?

5. Why doesn't Codell respond favorably to the educational chiropractor?

(see the answer keys)

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