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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. How is Taylor's appearance described?

2. How does Patrick feel about the hospital?

3. How many members are on the ethics committee at Hermann?

4. Who are the people at the meeting in Chapter 3?

5. What do the doctors have to do to Taylor and Jake?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the end of Chapter 7, what does the Ethics Committee decide regarding Patrick?

2. What is Fran's treatment when she first arrives at Hermann?

3. What does Patrick admit to doing in Chapter 7?

4. Why is Fran rushed to Hermann?

5. How does Patrick feel about the hospital and its staff, compared to his home and family?

6. What question is the Committee facing in Chapter 1?

7. What is the composition of the Ethics Committee?

8. What is the treatment for Patrick's condition?

9. How do the Poarches feel about the doctor they receive when they first arrive at Hermann?

10. How is Taylor's appearance described at the beginning of Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Ethics Committee has strict rules regarding when it is appropriate to withdraw a patient's life support. Do you agree with the rules and standards they have? Why or why not? Do you believe it is ever appropriate to withdraw life support from a patient? Why or why not? If you were the family of one of the patients at Hermann, what would you have done, and why? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Think about the debate over the purpose of medical care. What are the different views presented in the book? Which one do you agree with? Why? At what point does medical care change from improving the quality of a person's life, to simply sustaining that life? Is it selfish to keep someone alive when they have no hope of recovery? Or is it "playing God" to let someone die? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the Sparks, and the Poarches. What are the similarities in the way they handled their childrens' illnesses? What are the differences? Do you think either couple handled the decisions they had to make better than the other? If so, who? How did they handle life after Hermann? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

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