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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 was Smarsh's paternal grandmother?

2. What work did Smarsh's father primarily do?

3. What did Smarsh's family do one July 4 to make money?

4. Who was Smarsh's paternal grandfather?

5. What was the biggest loss of equipment from Nick's barn in Chapter 2?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Nick's barn burning down such a blow to Smarsh's family?

2. How does Nick become so sick in Part II?

3. How do Smarsh's parents, Jeannie and Nick, meet?

4. In Part I, why was Jeannie considering calling off her wedding to Nick, and what changed her mind?

5. Why does Smarsh love going to church as a child?

6. How does Smarsh define her family's poverty in Part I?

7. What was Smarsh's relationship with her mother like when Smarsh was a young child?

8. In Part I, what is one main reason Betty says yes when Arnie asks her to dance the first time they meet?

9. In Part I, what is the one fact of Smarsh's family history she thinks most significantly shaped her relationship to August?

10. In Part I, what do Smarsh's parents do around the Fourth of July to make a significant amount of money?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does going away to college change Smarsh's relationship with her family and of their perceptions of her? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What are some of the lessons Betty, Smarsh's grandmother, taught Smarsh about work and work ethic while Smarsh was growing up? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the entire book, once Smarsh comes of age, why is she so determined not to get pregnant? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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