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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. When the boom comes to Connaught, how many hours does Vera work a day, seven days a week?

2. Where did the doctor in Chapter 16 want to send Earl?

3. What free refreshments does Vera serve on the opening day of the cafe?

4. When does Vera decide that she needs to teach Daniel to dance?

5. How is Daniel treated in school in Chapter 12?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How is Daniel treated at school?

4. In Chapter 12, how do Vera and Alec have a temporary truce?

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

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

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

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

9. What idea does Stutz give Vera for work?

10. In Chapter 11, what does Vera do when Alec wears a hat to dinner?

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

Allusions are figures of speech used when an author mentions a person, place, or thing, but does not provide background information about the person, place, or thing. What are some allusions that the author uses in the book? Is research required to understand the allusions the author makes? Does the use of allusions make understanding what is happening difficult?

Essay Topic 3

The climax in a novel is the highest point of tension and a turning point. What is the climax of the novel and why is that incident the climax?

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