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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. In Chapter 1, what time is Merci supposed to show up for Sunshine Buddies?

2. Where has Abuela bought new shoes to walk the twins back and forth to school?

3. In Chapter 7, where is Simon's family?

4. In Chapter 11, what type of pajamas are the twins wearing?

5. Who does Merci remember in Chapter 11 forgot to clean the paint brushes for the last painting job?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of map does Edna want to do, and what type of map does Merci want to do in Chapter 5, and what do they decide?

2. What disagreement do Enrique and Manny Cruz have?

3. What does Merci remember what her mother said when she and her father got home late after the soccer game?

4. In Chapter 1, what does Merci remember doing at the school with her father last summer?

5. What is the Sol Painting company uniform like that Merci designed?

6. How does Abuela think that Lolo hurt himself?

7. Wht happened to Dona Rosa?

8. What happens to Lolo on the painting job in Chapter 12?

9. What instructions does Abuela give Merci before she leaves with her father and grandfather for a painting job?

10. How did Mami become a physical therapist, and how does it help the family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 2

Merci does not think that life is fair. Why does Merci think that life is not fair? What do her parents try to teach her about unfairness and life? How does Merci come to understand and accept that life is not fair?

Essay Topic 3

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does the author use idioms in the book? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand? Why do the idioms often require research to understand their meaning?

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