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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. Why is Steve worried about what the doctor has said?

2. Ayinde is really struggling with Julian but when her friends ask her how it is going, what does she tell them?

3. What does Lia tells Sam about her family?

4. What does Kelly do when Steve offers to watch the baby while she takes a nap?

5. What is the first thing Mimi does when she arrives?

Short Essay Questions

1. Jennifer Weiner paints a picture of motherhood in the opening scene of "August Becky." How is this picture humorous?

2. Kelly and her husband Steve both come home from the hospital in "July Kelly." What had happened to Steve?

3. How does Lia's flight back to LA bring out the thought, "You can't go home again'?

4. In the chapter "July Ayinde," why is Richard unhappy in the middle of the night?

5. How does the "smelly monstrosity of a couch that the neighbor was throwing away" give Kelly flashbacks of her childhood?

6. Kelly jokes, "It takes a village to feed my child." What does this mean?

7. Becky always seems to worry about her weight. How is this self-consciousness shown in the chapter "June Becky"?

8. Why does Richard, Ayinde's husband, appear to be ready to go on another trip?

9. Why is the thought of having intercourse so hard for Kelly?

10. Why does Kelly panic when she finds out that Steve wants to become a teacher?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There were many themes throughout the story. Choose one of them and describe how it develops throughout.

Essay Topic 2

Of all the main characters, Becky is the character who struggles with physical appearance. She looks in the mirror and questions whether she is pregnant or just fat. Although Becky has struggled with her body image most of her life, the pregnancy really makes her draw attention to her weight. She has hoped that through the pregnancy she could relax with the weight issue, but it has not. How do this disappointment and her struggle with weight loss and body image affect her view of pregnancy?

Essay Topic 3

All four main characters are very different and have four very different lives with their husbands. Some women are forced to quit their jobs and stay at home with their children while the other women can go back to their careers. What are the similarities and differences among each of the four families?

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