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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who does Ellen blame for her mother's death?
(a) Herself.
(b) Her aunt.
(c) Her grandmother.
(d) Her father.

2. What happens to Ellen's mother's clothes?
(a) Ellen donated them to charity.
(b) Ellen's father burned them.
(c) Ellen's grandmother took them away.
(d) Ellen outgrew them.

3. Who is the only member of Starletta's family who can read?
(a) Starletta's dad.
(b) Starletta.
(c) No one.
(d) Starletta's mom.

4. The day after the funeral, where does Ellen prepare to go?
(a) The skating rink.
(b) Church.
(c) The mall.
(d) School.

5. How long is Ellen's father gone the day after the funeral?
(a) Her father does not leave after the funeral.
(b) About 2 hours.
(c) About 24 hours.
(d) About 48 hours.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who visits Ellen at school after she is a ward of the state?

2. What does Bill do to Ellen on New Year's Eve?

3. What activity has become an escape for Ellen?

4. How does Ellen explain the item on her arm?

5. What present does Ellen give to Starletta's family?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways does Ellen justify not telling anyone about the circumstances of her mother's death?

2. How is Ellen's former life and her new life an example of dualism?

3. How is the pony's name, Dolphin, a symbol of freedom to Ellen?

4. What event leads to Ellen's removal from her father's care?

5. How does the fact that Ellen is concerned with snakes in her new life hint at how she feels about the members of her family?

6. Why does Ellen have conflicting views about Starletta's family?

7. In Chapter 2, how does Ellen hint at favoritism towards her mother's family?

8. How is Ellen's obsessive side shown in Chapter 6?

9. Why does Ellen feel that she is better off being a ward of the county rather than being in the custody of her father?

10. In what ways does the author indicate that Ellen's father killed Ellen's mother?

(see the answer keys)

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