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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. Who decides they suddenly need to go home, based on a feeling they have about someone else?

2. _________ is a stressful experience for Martha since there are many unknowns during the birth of Adam.

3. What center tells Martha that she will have a child with Down Syndrome, according to her account in the story?

4. Why didn't Adam go home for the first few days of life, according to her account in the story?

5. What is the experience that Martha have in the beginning of her labor?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the circumstances surrounding the phone call that woke Martha up the next day?

2. What happened to delay John's return to Martha and to his family?

3. What did John use as rationale when he decided to return home instead of staying in Asia?

4. What did Martha decide to do when she was heading over to see the nurse practitioner?

5. What was John unsure he could face every day when he is on his business trip, which caused him to question his life?

6. What was the image that Martha had in a moment of despair when John left the apartment?

7. What was the magical experience that John has which caused him to be supportive of the pregnancy?

8. What did John's mentor tell him when John was having a conversation with him about his future?

9. What was Martha surprised to learn about Sibyl when she told her about the diagnosis of Adam?

10. What happened after John spoke with his dissertation adviser that day?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Martha Beck decided not to leave her apartment, even as there was a fire below her apartment, even though she had her daughter with her.

Part 1: Why do you think that Martha decided to wait to leave the apartment?

Part 2: How would you have responded to the fire that was below your apartment?

Part 3: What seems strange to you about this moment in Martha's life?

Essay Topic 2

A student berates Martha for falling for the stereotype of the weak woman who has morning sickness.

Part 1: Why do you think the student feels a woman is weak for having morning sickness?

Part 2: How do you feel about a person who considers another person's sickness to be a weakness?

Part 3: How would you have responded to the student if you were in Martha's shoes?

Essay Topic 3

The idea of ambition is one that comes up often in this book, often shown in a less than positive light, with Martha and John both spending their energy to try to keep up their professional careers, to the detriment of all else.

Part 1: Why do you think Martha and John's careers are so important to them?

Part 2: Do you think career should come before all else? Why or why not?

Part 3: How do you think a person can balance personal and professional goals in a positive way?

(see the answer keys)

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