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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. Marley developed another health issue as he got older that stopped him from getting around. What did he develop?

2. What did the Grogans' neighbor warn them not to do with their farm animals?

3. When Jenny returned after her twelve day stay in the hospital, what were the doctor's orders?

4. What caused Marley to be forever banned from Dog Beach?

5. What was Marley's response to the farm animals?

Short Essay Questions

1. Before Jenny and the children returned from Boston, Marley became dangerously ill. What was wrong with him and what was the outlook?

2. John was dedicated to an organic living style, so the family decided to invest in something. What was it and why? In regards to this, what did their neighbor warn them not to do, but they did anyway?

3. What happened soon after John's visit to Shanksville that reinforced his conviction that Marley was living on "borrowed time"?

4. What was the family hoping for in regard to the weather in their new home in the north? What was the outcome of this?

5. The summer after John started his new job in Philadelphia, Jenny took the kids to visit her sister in Boston. What did John have to do about Marley?

6. John decided to leave Organic Gardening after realizing that life is too short not to do what one wants to do. What did he decide to do instead and how did it change his lifestyle?

7. What happened not long after John's new job in Philadelphia began? What was the result of this for Marley?

8. What happened not long after John's fortieth birthday that convinced him Marley's fear of thunderstorms was justified?

9. What decision did the Grogans make soon after moving to Boca Raton? How did their friends react?

10. What incident showed that Marley did not really fit in in Boca Raton?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss your overall impression of Marley as a dog - was he good, bad, or average? Did his good qualities make up for his bad ones? Give examples of Marley's bad behavior and how you think the Grogans might have done things differently.

Essay Topic 2

In reference to the plotting of Marley & Me:

(1) Why are the events of the memoir arranged as they are?

(2) What moves the narrative along? Is it external action or internal conflicts? Or a combination of both? Support your answer with examples.

Essay Topic 3

Why did John Grogan include the e-mail and telephone tributes to Marley at the end of the book? Do you believe these added to the theme? As a reader, how did you respond to the tributes?

(see the answer keys)

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