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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. How much sleep does Vera get in Chapter 17 before she wakes worrying if she locked the cafe door or turned off the grill?

2. When Earl was learning to be a farmer, when was the crop ready to cut?

3. When the streets and sidewalks are being paved in Connaught, how many men does Vera serve meals three times a day, seven days a week?

4. During summer vacation in Chapter 18, how long does Daniel work for his mother?

5. What grades pick rocks out of the football field before the season starts?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Daniel treated at school?

2. What did the doctor have to say about Earl when Alec and Stuz brought him to town after he started the fire?

3. Why does Daniel not tell his mother that he is seeing his grandfather?

4. What conversation do Alec and Daniel have about Earl in Chapter 11?

5. What did Alec try to get Earl to do after he graduated from high school and why?

6. What options does Vera have for work in Connaught?

7. Why does Vera buy a television and where does she put it?

8. How does Vera's business pick up at the cafe?

9. Why does Vera prefer John F. Kennedy for the United States president?

10. What advice does Alec give Daniel about dancing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does the author use more metaphors or similes in the novel? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers make the writing more interesting?

Essay Topic 2

The setting in a book is the place or places where the action takes place. Where does the story take place? Is the setting simply a backdrop to the story and characters or does it take on the role of a character?

Essay Topic 3

Although Alec talks about Earl as though he is someplace far away, Earl is dead. How long ago did Earl die? How does he still affect family dynamics years after his death?

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