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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 do the grounds at the asylum appear?

2. Why does the Aunt think her house is dangerous?

3. What does Mallory say having the Field Guide is causing?

4. What does Jared offer the house brownie?

5. Who did Jared worry would take something from his backpack.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Mallory ask to take the subject off of fathers?

2. What does Lucinda say when Simon asks if Arthur is her father?

3. What happens when the children give their aunt the cookies they brought?

4. Who is taking the children to see Lucinda and what does Mallory say about the cookies they are taking?

5. What does Jared check his backpack for and how does he feel after he checks it?

6. What does Jared ask Simon and Mallory if they want to give up and what do they say to that question?

7. What do Jared and Mallory do in the car and of what does their mother remind them?

8. What does the asylum look like?

9. What happened between Jared and Thimbletack prior to the pranks starting and what did Jared do to hope to appease the brownie?

10. Why does Lucinda say nothing of the house matters and what surprises Jared about Lucy's mother?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Characters are an important part of what makes Lucinda's Secret interesting. Discuss the following "good" characters:

1. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Jared. What are his strengths? His weaknesses? How does he contribute to the plot? Is he a sympathetic character? Is he always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

2. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Simon. What are his strengths? His weaknesses? How does he contribute to the plot? Is he a sympathetic character? Is he always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

3. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Mallory. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

4. Thoroughly discuss and analyze Lucinda. What are her strengths? Her weaknesses? How does she contribute to the plot? Is she a sympathetic character? Is she always likable? Never likable? Use specific examples to illustrate your ideas.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of Lucinda's Secret, identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements (They may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Whenever reading a science fiction or fantasy novel, one must become familiar with new terminology that explains concepts or technology that is not a part of the "real" world. In the case of Lucinda's Secret, much of the setting is familiar to the reader, though there are new ideas and terms to learn. Discuss the following:

1. Find five terms that are a part of Lucinda's Secret's world that occur in the "real" world but are used differently in Lucinda's Secret's world. Define the words as used in in Lucinda's Secret's world and compare those five words as to how they are currently used in the American English language.

2. There are ways of learning about a new world or time when reading a science fiction or fantasy novel. Discuss the ways you were able to understand the world of Lucinda's Secret. Did you have to look up any words? What does it mean to learn a word through its context? Do you have to do that in Lucinda's Secret? What word(s)?

3. Were there any words you never really understood from Lucinda's Secret? Which ones?

(see the answer keys)

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