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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 Alec tell the man he meets in Part I that he really needs a new job?

2. Who does Val go on a weekend away with in Part I?

3. Who is known as the bully of the children's group in Part I?

4. Why does Ben's favorite nurse take him to a meeting room full of medical students and his doctor?

5. What does Vern tell McLeish he wants to build in Bexford?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part II, who does Alec have a difficult relationship with in his life?

2. How does Vern mislead his dinner companion in Part I?

3. How does Ben experience the world around him in Part II?

4. Why does Alec's mentor have some misgivings about him going into the line of work he has chosen?

5. What reasons does Spufford imagine that might have prevented the Woolworth's bombing?

6. Why is Alec under some pressure to get a job in Part I as a young adult?

7. What is one reason Alec feels distant from his son?

8. What is one action Alec focuses on and participates in in his organizing work in Part II?

9. Why does Mike threaten Ben on the bus in Part II?

10. Why does the doctor and medical students analyze Ben's case in Part II?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which character or characters do you think, by the end of the novel, feel(s) most comfortable and at peace with their life's choices and direction? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Of the five main characters - Val, Jo, Vern, Alec, and Ben - which one do you think experiences the most significant growth or change over the course of his or her life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Spufford describe Ben's and Marsha's relationship, and why does it work so well even though it appears unconventional on the surface? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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