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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 Ben's favorite nurse give out to the patients?

2. How does Ben think his "bad times" usually come on?

3. Who does Alec appeal to for a new job in Part I?

4. Which writer pushes past Alec on the picket line in Part II?

5. What does Alec bring to his older son's room to wake him up in Part II?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Vern become distracted by during his business dinner in Part I and why does this happen?

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

3. Who encourages Mike not to fight with Ben and Trevor, and why does she do this?

4. What kind of job does Alec's mentor help him get as a young adult?

5. In Part II, what does Alec spend a lot of time doing besides working?

6. Why is Trevor upset with Ben in Part II?

7. What kind of deal does Vern attempt to close in Part I?

8. What does Ben become obsessed with in Part II that takes over his life?

9. What does Jo notice about the man she thinks of as having a frog face in Part II?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do each of the five main characters' financial situations change over the course of the novel, and how important is money to each of them in making significant choices in their lives? 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 Jo find her way back to her dream of producing her own music and putting it out in the world towards the end of the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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