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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. What did Smarsh say in Chapter 5 that most people associate poverty with?

2. What kind of contest does Smarsh win in Chapter 4?

3. Who were Dorothy's parents?

4. What violent storms are most common in Kansas?

5. What did Betty say to Smarsh about the county jail, the entrance to which they would pass on their way to Betty's office?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was one reason Bob found it fairly easy to get full custody of his and Betty's son in Part IV?

2. What happens to Betty's mother in Part IV that has a negative effect on Betty and her young siblings at the time?

3. What made Betty's poverty more tolerable to other people, in Smarsh's opinion?

4. In Part III, what is Smarsh's stepmother Chris like?

5. In Part IV, what was Betty's husband Bob like to both her and Jeannie?

6. What were some of the government assistance programs Smarsh and her brother benefitted from as children?

7. What did the family of Vietnamese immigrants do to express their gratitude for Jeannie's help getting them their house?

8. In Part IV, what does the maroon wall symbolize for Jeannie?

9. How does Smarsh win an essay contest in fifth grade in Part III?

10. How did Jeannie's boyfriend, also named Bob, treat Smarsh?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Smarsh was ten years old, she went to live primarily with her grandmother Betty and Arnie. Write an essay exploring how Smarsh felt about this arrangement, focusing on her feelings about her own mother's reaction to it.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing Smarsh's exploration of the history of women's rights work and progressive activism in Kansas state politics, citing specific references to the text to help support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

What is the connection, for Smarsh, between her own ambition and the academic world? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to help support your arguments.

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