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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where does Jenny encounter Clara and Robert?
(a) Walking through Central Park.
(b) On the subway.
(c) Outside Hahn's shoe store.
(d) Standing on the sidewalk outside her house.

2. What does the protagonist of "The First Day" wear in the opening scene?
(a) A red jumper with a white blouse.
(b) A school uniform.
(c) Jeans and a t-shirt.
(d) A blue-and-green cotton dress.

3. In "The First Day", what does the protagonist liken her mother to as her mother pulls documents from her purse?
(a) A bumbling fool.
(b) A magician.
(c) A library.
(d) A secretary.

4. What is the last thing the protagonist hears of her mother as she starts class in "The First Day"?
(a) A soft sniffle.
(b) The sound of her voice greeting other children.
(c) The sound of her proud laugh.
(d) The clacking of her heels.

5. How does Rhonda die?
(a) Rhonda dies from alcohol poisoning.
(b) Rhonda overdoses on drugs.
(c) Rhonda's father stabs her.
(d) Rhonda is shot.

Short Answer Questions

1. What experience has taught Cassandra that asking questions can be dangerous?

2. Who accompanies Betsy Ann on her trips to retrieve her pigeons?

3. How much does the protagonist's mother give to the woman who assists in completing the forms in "The First Day"?

4. How long has Caesar been watching the mentally disabled woman?

5. From what illness does Clara die?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the protagonist's mother slap her across the mouth in "The First Day"?

2. Describe the final interaction between Caesar and Carol.

3. Describe the conditions in which Betsy Ann's cousin Ralph grows up.

4. In "The First Day", how does the protagonist's mother prepare her for the first day of school?

5. Discuss the girls' encounter with Pearl and Joyce. What unconventional decision have they made?

6. How does Robert respond to his daughter's desire to raise pigeons of her own?

7. What do the pigeons symbolize?

8. What is the central difference between Caesar and Sherman?

9. Describe the environment in which Betsy Ann grows up.

10. How does Cassandra respond to teachers' attempts to set her straight?

(see the answer keys)

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