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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. How long is the cable that the walker trains on in the meadow in Book 1, Chapter 4: "Let the Great World Spin Forever Down"?

2. How much money did Claire send to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s church in Atlanta after he was shot?

3. At what tension does the walker want the wire to be when attached to the World Trade Center towers?

4. Where is Gloria's apartment described in Book 1, Chapter 2: "Miro, Miro on the Wall"?

5. What is the profession of Claire's husband in the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is the narrator of Book 1, Chapter 2: “Miro, Miro on the Wall”? Who is the protagonist in this chapter?

2. What event is taking place in Book 1, Chapter 2: “Miro, Miro on the Wall”?

3. What does Marcia describe when she arrives in Book 1, Chapter 2: “Miro, Miro on the Wall”? Why is Marcia’s story significant?

4. What action breaks the initial tension described in the Prologue? Why?

5. How is the meadow described in Book 1, Chapter 4: “Let the Great World Spin Forever Down”?

6. What is the passion of the protagonist in Book 2, Chapter 5: “Tag”?

7. What is foreshadowed in the end of Book 1, Chapter 3: “A Fear of Love”?

8. What brings Lara to the hospital in Book 1, Chapter 3: “A Fear of Love”? What does she discover at the hospital?

9. From what narrative perspective is Book One, Chapter 1: “All Respects to Heaven, I Like It Here” related? Who is the focus of this chapter?

10. What presumed event is taking place at the end of Book 2, Chapter 5: “Tag”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Adelita’s story in Let the Great World Spin. How would you define Adelita’s central conflict in the narrative? Is this conflict resolved by the end of the novel? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Gloria in the novel. When and where is Gloria introduced? How is her home described? What is Gloria’s past like? How does the theme of grief relate to Gloria?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the metaphors and symbolism surrounding the tightrope walker in the novel. What central feat does the walker perform? Why does he perform this stunt? How does this performance impact the lives of the main characters in the story?

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