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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. Where does Adam wake up in a panic in the middle of the night?

2. What do the old man at the rest stop and the boy look at when the boy stops in Aswell on his bike trip?

3. Brint tells Adam to __________ and let the thoughts from his memory come, but this doesn't work.

4. Where is Adam's friend at the moment, so he cannot call her in order to talk to her?

5. The boy has enough money in his pocket to travel by _______, but he prefers to travel by bike as it's less confined.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Brint tell Adam when he finds out Adam has been refusing all of things he has been refusing?

2. What does the man do when Adam offers him $25 to tell him where his bike has gone?

3. What is so special about Benton Falls, the place where Adam decides to spend the night as he continues his bike journey?

4. Where did Adam and his family stop when they were out looking for a motel on their adventure?

5. What does the old maintenance man always do, according to the narrative?

6. Why can't Adam call Amy when he arrives at the Howard Johnson's, even though he does call her anyway?

7. What does Adam tell the boys about his bike, which only arouses their curiosity in it and in Adam?

8. How did Adam feel about his father and about what he had done to provide testimony?

9. What is the condition of the road when Adam continues on his journey from Carver to see his dad?

10. What did Adam's father used to tease him about when Adam is just a child?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The narrator of every story should be questioned by the reader, as their telling of the story affects what the reader knows - and doesn't know.

Part 1: Why do you think the author chose Adam to be the narrator of this story?

Part 2: Do you think Adam is a reliable narrator for the story? Why or why not?

Part 3: Who might have been a better narrator for the story? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Within the song, "The Farmer in the Dell," the line is - the cheese stands alone. And Adam points out that he is the cheese via the title and in the book.

Part 1: Why do you think Adam equates himself with the cheese?

Part 2: What do you think it means that the cheese stands alone in the song?

Part 3: What does the title reveal about Adam and about the story as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

At many times, the family seems to try to cling to normalcy in the flashbacks, even though things are far from normal.

Part 1: Why do you think the family continues to try to be normal?

Part 2: Do you think Adam knows on some level that things weren't actually as normal as they appeared? Why or why not?

Part 3: What might be a negative outcome of pretending that all is well when it actually isn't?

(see the answer keys)

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