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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. What does Jeremy tell Dru?

2. Why does Sccoter ask Mike and Dru to drive his motor scooter down to the cliff?

3. What does Dru tell Elisa when Elisa gets ready to leave the house?

4. Why is Scooter at Elisa's house?

5. Why is her mother happy Dru is dating Mike?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mike say about Scooter jumping?

2. What happens when Scooter and Elisa jump and immediately after?

3. How does Dru feel towards Scooter after Elisa tells Dru about the drowned girl and what does Elisa say to her?

4. What does Hopi say about jumping?

5. Who does Dru run into while walking her dog and what does the person ask her and say to her?

6. What does Dru want to do once she and Mike get back to the top of the Nail, who is Hopi and what does he give Dru?

7. What does Jeremy say to Dru when she sees him?

8. What is it like at the Nail right before Elisa and Scooter jump, what does Lizzie say and what does Mike do with Dru?

9. Who drives Dru and MIke back to Mike's car and what is Diane like?

10. How is Elisa awoken after Dru had put her to bed and what does she do about Scooter's invitation? How does Dru react?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dru is a bit guilty of catering to her boyfriend, just like Elisa. Mike is not controlling, but she will do certain things for him. She goes to the Spindrift, though she does not feel like it. She wears her hair the way he likes it. She looks longingly at her new clothes for Northwestern, a place that represents distance from Mike. In a subliminal way, Mike gets in her head. And she submits to what he wants.

1. Do you think it is positive or negative behavior to do certain things for another person even if you don't necessarily want to do them yourself? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think there is a part of Dru who believes she is giving up too much of herself to date Mike? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think the female in a relationship tends to give up more than the male? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Characters are an integral and important part of almost all novels. Discuss the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of Dru and Diane. How are they similar? How are they different? Is there a flaw in each of their personalities? Be specific and give examples.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Mike and Scooter. How do they seem different? Which do you like more? Why? Which one seems more of a well-rounded character?

3. Thoroughly analyze how three of the secondary characters in "Jumping the Nail" help drive the plot and what their contribution is to the storyline. Are any of the secondary characters unnecessary? Indispensable? Which of the secondary characters are likable? Which are either unlikable or even despicable? Be specific and give examples.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why?

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why?

3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot?

4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not?

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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