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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 Virgil's grandmother tell him when she arrived at the airport in the U.S. for the first time?

2. What kind of lessons does Lola think Virgil should start?

3. What does Virgil's grandmother tell him she has dreamed about the previous evening in Chapter 1?

4. What happened to Frederico the Sorrowful in Virgil's grandmother's story?

5. What is Virgil's pet's favorite food?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 13, what is Chet Bullens's motivation for trying to catch a snake in the woods?

2. How does Virgil feel about the fact that his family has nicknamed him Turtle?

3. Why does Virgil's family nickname him Turtle?

4. In Chapter 3, what is a criticism Lola has of Virgil's mother when it comes to food?

5. In Chapter 5, what does Virgil suspect is wrong with Gulliver, and why does he think this?

6. In Chapter 1, why does Lola suspect that Virgil is looking upset?

7. Who is the student from Virgil's school who bullies him, and what does the bully usually say?

8. What kind of advice does Virgil seek from Kaori Tanaka, and who is Kaori?

9. What does Kaori text to Valencia in Chapter 9 to try to convince Valencia of the reason she sounds older than 12 years old?

10. What does Mr. Bullens, Chet's father, say when Chet asks him what makes people deaf in Chapter 10?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay analyzing the significance of Sacred, the stray dog, to both Valencia and Virgil. What does the dog seem to symbolize to each of these characters?

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the sibling relationship between Kaori and Gen. In which instances in the book does Kaori demonstrate her affection and love for Gen, despite the fact that she often condescends her little sister and seems to find her irritating?

Essay Topic 3

Chapters 8-10 take place in the Super Saver grocery store where Virgil, Chet, and Valencia are all present at the same time. Write an essay analyzing what the reader learns about each of these three characters, and their intersecting relationships, from these three chapters.

(see the answer keys)

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