View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 35, what is the name of the security guard who finds a handbag on his security table that has a bomb inside?

2. How old is Walter in Chapter 24?

3. In Chapter 28, how many years of his life has Wakely spent consoling people?

4. How long is the knife that Elizabeth shows Walter she had when she met with Phil?

5. How long did Elizabeth and Calvin live together before he died?

Short Essay Questions

1. What complaints does Mrs. Mumford have about Madeline in Chatper 23?

2. How does Frask help Elizabeth and why?

3. How does Mad get to see her mother's show in Chapter 32?

4. How does Elizabeth get Mad into kindergarten, even though she is not quite four?

5. What does Elizabeth do when there is a live audience for her show in Chapter 26?

6. How did the bishop at All Saints get money from the Parker Foundation?

7. Why does Elizabeth not wish to be interviewed by a reporter from the LA Times?

8. In Chatper 31, what does Elizabeth tell Walter she discovered after Lebensmal had a heart attack and she waited for the ambulance?

9. What happens when Elizabeth sees Lebensmal in his office in Chapter 30?

10. Why is it so important for Elizabeth to get Mad into school?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Novels can be structured and divided in different ways. How does the structure of a novel provide clarity and flow to a story? What are chapter titles? What are some purposes of chapter titles? How does Garmus use chapter titles in Lessons in Chemistry?

Essay Topic 2

Colors are sometimes associated with mood. If you could assign a color to represent the mood in Lessons in Chemistry, what color would it be? Why? Would you choose different colors to describe the mood in different sections?

Essay Topic 3

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does the author use more metaphors or similes in the novel? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of metaphors or similes help make the writing more interesting?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,074 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample