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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. Why is Armando able to find peace at Bart's?

2. What gives Fran and Carey solace, regarding their decision about Taylor?

3. Who suggests discussing the removal of Taylor's ventilator with the ethics committee?

4. Why does Lin Weeks step down from her position as chair of the ethics committee?

5. Who is Armando's social worker?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mary try to do for Armando in Chapter 18?

2. Who is Cindy Walker?

3. What is the hospital's situation when the book was written in 1988?

4. What happens to the Sparks family, in the four years following the events in the book?

5. Why wasn't Hermann Hospital built right away?

6. What is the Committee's decision regarding Taylor, in Chapter 16?

7. How does Hermann fit in with the other two hospitals in Houston?

8. How is Patrick's condition changing in Chapter 12?

9. What happened to Javier after he quit Hermann?

10. What condition does Landon have, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the individuals on the Ethics Committee. What are their respective opinions about medical care, and life support? How do their opinions clash with one another, at times? Do you think that their level of comfort with one another is detrimental to their ability to work as a team to help patients? Why or why not? If they met more often, and not so sporadically, would they get along better? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Claire Sparks blames herself for Landon's condition, because he was conceived as the result of years of fertility treatments. Are fertility treatments safe for mother and baby? Do you think that the fertility treatments had an adverse effect on Landon's health? Why or why not? Be sure to cite specific examples from the text to support your thesis.

(see the answer keys)

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