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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. Cassie was heading off to her high school, Colby was about to enter kindergarten, and Colton was about to enter ______________ grade.

2. How did Colton feel about the film?

3. Now he was almost five-years-old. Todd asked Colton if he knew what ____________ was about.

4. Colton said whose chair was right next to his father's?

5. In early 2006, the Burpo family rented what DVD?

Short Essay Questions

1. How had heaven become a normal part of Colton's life?

2. Pop became a Christian right before he died. According to Colton's reactions up to this point, do you believe Pop would have been in heaven if he had not become a Christian? Why or why not?

3. What did Colton know about his father becoming a pastor? Why is this important?

4. How was the family changed by this event?

5. How had Colton's experience in heaven made him more of a risk-taker? Is this good or bad? Why?

6. What reservations did the Burpos family have for writing a book?

7. Why might Colton have liked "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe?"

8. How did Colton make an impact on Ali Titus?

9. What is the "What does Jesus look like?" game? Why do they play it?

10. Why might angels use swords? Is this necessary? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Todd sees the shadow of death in Colton's room.

Part 1) What is the shadow of death? Why does Todd see it? How is this significant? What does this foreshadow?

Part 2) How does this vision of the shadow of death make Colton's story even more amazing?

Part 3) What other details of this story make Colton's trip to heaven and back more shocking, yet believable?

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

Before being diagnosed with appendicitis, Colton is misdiagnosed.

Part 1) How is Colton's appendicitis first diagnosed? How is it misdiagnosed again? What leads to the wrong diagnoses? How do they affect Colton and his family? How different would this story be if Colton's appendicitis had been diagnosed correctly the first time?

Part 2) If given the chance, would the Burpo family go back and change the events of this story so that Colton was diagnosed correctly the first time? Why or why not?

Part 3) When you have suffered from set-backs, illness, or challenges that led to positive outcomes, would you have to change the past so those challenges never occurred? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 921 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample