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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 did friends of the couple tell the Grogans their house was already baby-proofed?

2. What was the Labrador retriever originally bred for?

3. Why wasn't John concerned about the neighborhood they lived in in Chapter 6?

4. How did Marley react to thunderstorms?

5. How did John's father react when Shaun died?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did John's first night with Marley at home go?

2. The day after John began his own program to train Marley, what did he come home to find?

3. The day after the news of the first pregnancy's loss, what did John buy for Jenny and what was the result of this?

4. Why did John decide to surprise Jenny with a three-week stay in Ireland?

5. How did the Grogans come to name Marley?

6. What was Jenny's second pregnancy like in the early stages?

7. How did the Grogans introduce the baby to Marley and how did he adjust to the new arrival?

8. The Grogans are excited about their first pregnancy but their happiness is short lived. Why?

9. Even when Marley was still a fairly young dog, he was large and many people perceived him as being an attack dog. Why was John glad of this?

10. What was happening in the Grogans' neighborhood a year or so after the birth of Patrick?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define the component of the literary element of plot known as "exposition". What purpose does it serve in writing? Give four examples of Grogan's use of exposition in Marley & Me that enhance the memoir.

Essay Topic 2

Define "the writer's purpose" and give four examples of different genres of writing and explain the writer's purpose for each one. Apply the definition to Marley & Me and discuss John Grogan's purpose in writing the memoir and if you think he has succeeded, with examples to back up your assertion.

Essay Topic 3

Define "epiphany" as it is used in writing. What epiphany did John Grogan arrive at when he visited Shanksville, PA on September 11, 2003? How did he arrive at that epiphany? How does this event influence the remainder of the memoir?

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