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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 does Mr. Bullens tell Chet when Chet asks why some people are deaf?

2. What does Chet do with Virgil's backpack in Chapter 16?

3. What is one thing that makes it more difficult for Valencia to read lips?

4. What kind of diary does Valencia keep?

5. What is Virgil's last name?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In Chapter 11, what does Lola warn Virgil about for the day ahead?

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

5. Why does Valencia think of Chet Bullens as "Scrunch"?

6. In Chapter 1, what is one reason Virgil considers himself a failure?

7. In Chapter 12, who comes to Valencia's door early on Saturday morning and how do they treat her?

8. What kind of a chart does Kaori have that she explains to Gen in Chapter 14?

9. How does Valencia feel about her own name?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which characters in the book does Valencia identify as being particularly mindful of her "How-tos," or her simple set of three rules for making it easier for her to understand what people are saying to her? What does it mean to Valencia when people respect her request and make an effort to try to communicate effectively with her?

Essay Topic 2

Which characters in the book suffer most from the condition of experiencing isolation? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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