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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 does Jonathan regain consciousness?

2. Jonathan was no ordinary ______.

3. How does Jonathan feel after breaking his promise to become like other gulls?

4. How many times does Jonathan try this dive in question #10?

5. What does Jonathan do as a result of hearing the voice in his head?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the strange voice in Jonathan's head tell him about his flying, at first?

2. What does Jonathan do that no other seagull on Earth has done, making him the first?

3. What does Jonathan discover is the key to turning when he is flying at great speeds?

4. How many seagulls are in the morning Flock of seagulls that are simply trying to find food to eat?

5. What does the voice in Jonathan's head have to say about gulls flying in the dark?

6. What do Jonathan's parents think about his behavior when the other seagulls are eating?

7. What is the name of the morning's group of seagulls that are looking for food?

8. What does Jonathan realize is the secret to his success in flying close to the water?

9. What does Jonathan's mother ask him to do when she sees him flying all by himself all the time?

10. Why doesn't Jonathan feel guilty about breaking the promise to the voice in his head?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea that the humans look down on the Gulls is implied in the beginning of the story. This conflict between the humans and the Gulls is not fully explored, but one could see how it might be problematic.

Part 1: How does the author Bach describe the relationship between the Gulls and the humans?

Part 2: Do the Gulls ever interact with the humans?

Part 3: Do you think that more interaction might help the relationship between the Gulls and the humans? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Jonathan seems to be a Gull with otherworldly ambitions, it seems. He is always striving for something more, while also asking questions of all around him.

Part 1: Why does Jonathan want more from his life?

Part 2: What does Jonathan want from his life and its experiences?

Part 3: Why doesn't Jonathan just settle for what other Gulls want from their lives? What makes him different?

Essay Topic 3

The idea of needing 10,000 reincarnations to "get" the meaning of life seems astounding to read in this book. The Gull needs to come back to the Earth again and again in order to learn the lessons Jonathan learns.

Part 1: Why does an ordinary Gull need 10,000 reincarnations to understand the meaning of life?

Part 2: What other lessons do Gulls learn as they go through these various reincarnations?

Part 3: What makes Jonathan so special in regards to this idea of reincarnations?

(see the answer keys)

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