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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. Preparing for the trip was nerve-wracking as the desire to remain safe at home warred with the desire to do what?

2. Within an hour, what happened?

3. Where did Todd find Sonja?

4. Money began to come in from donations with notes attached. The checks added up to what?

5. Todd had to go to _________________, and they decided to turn it into a family trip to celebrate the fact that they had beaten cancer and two surgeries.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Todd rage at God? Should he have done this? Why or why not?

2. How was Colton's recovery miraculous? Do you believe the prayers helped? Why or why not?

3. What made taking a CT scan challenging? What wa the technician's suggestion? Was this good? Why or why not?

4. Colton said he did homework in heaven. What kind of homework might this have been? Why?

5. How was Todd's mastectomy a miracle? Do you agree that this is a miracle? Why or why not?

6. What complications occurred after the surgery?

7. How was this trip to Greeley supposed to be celebratory?

8. What are the diagnoses given for Colton's illness? How could these pose a problem?

9. What did the Burpos refuse to stop paying? Why do they do this?

10. What was significant about the donations that came in?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Colton knows about his mother's miscarriage.

Part 1) Describe this miscarriage and Colton's knowledge of it. Why might Colton have met his sister in heaven? What other events took place in heaven? Why did they take place?

Part 2) How was the Burpo family changed by these stories? Why were they changed? Why were others changed by these stories? Why?

Part 3) Have you been changed by these stories? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 2

On January 28, 2007, the family goes public with their story.

Part 1) Why does the family choose to go public with this story? Why does it take them so long to choose to go public? How might the publicizing of this story affect the family?

Part 2) What might the family be like now, several years after the book was published? What might they have to say about Colton's story and this book? Use the book to support your response.

Part 3) How can being in the public eye be both good and bad? What should one do to stay healthy and happy when constantly being in the public eye?

Essay Topic 3

Colton chooses to not hold Rosie the Spider but later changes his mind.

Part 1) How does Colton get the chance to hold Rosie the Spider? Why does he, at first, choose not to hold her? What does this reveal about him? Why does he later change his mind and decide to hold her? What does this also reveal about him?

Part 2) What is the purpose of this story about Rosie? Is it simply to tell the events leading up to Colton's appendicitis and visions of heaven, or does it serve some other purpose?

Part 3) When have you looked past your fears and acted brave? What led to this bravery? How were you changed by this bravery?

(see the answer keys)

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