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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. What did Marley destroy that John had bought to celebrate the second baby's birth?

2. What did John create for Marley out by the spruce tree on the edge of their property?

3. John built a shelter for the farm animals. Why did he include a door that could be closed at night?

4. What was a consideration for the Grogans in finding a new place to live?

5. What habit had Marley developed as he got older?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did John decide to visit Shanksville, Pennsylvania in 2003?

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

3. 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?

4. What were the sequence of events behind John's getting an interview at Organic Gardening magazine?

5. Soon after Marley filmed his part in the movie, the Grogans decided it was time to move. They chose Boca Raton as their new home. Why was this a little embarrassing for John?

6. 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?

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

8. 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?

9. What did Patrick and Conor expect to see in their new home state and why?

10. What was Dog Beach and how did John find out about it?

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

Tone refers to the attitude of the narrator of a work. As the narrator of Marley & Me, what is the author's tone at different stages of the book? Explain the tone, with examples:

1) At the beginning of the book, before the Grogans adopted Marley;

2) When Marley was a puppy;

3) When the family welcomes children; and

4) When the family moves to Pennsylvania with an aging Marley.

Essay Topic 3

Conflict is a common element of writing, in both fiction and nonfiction. Why is conflict so often used in narratives? How can it help move a story along? Give four examples where conflict in Marley & Me occurs and how it helps explain the relationship between Marley and John Grogan.

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