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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 is Daniel treated in school in Chapter 12?

2. What are temperatures the day after Christmas in Chapter 15?

3. In Chapter 17, how long does Vera wait to share the decision she makes?

4. In Chapter 11, what time does Alec awake in Chapter 11 in front of the television?

5. Where are supplies for the cafe ordered from?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 14, why is Vera so upset in the weeks before Christmas?

2. Why does Daniel play hooky in May in Chapter 18?

3. How does Alec feel once he realizes that Vera and Daniel are gone for good?

4. Why did Stutz call out the town's fire brigade after Earl set the field on fire?

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

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

7. How did Vera get Stanley to go out with her?

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

9. How do Vera and Daniel move their things in Chapter 14?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Alec always told Vera to have the courage to follow your convictions. Why did Alec always believe it was important to have the courage to follow your convictions? How is that courage demonstrated through Alec, Vera, and Daniel?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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