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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 are the ranch hands bickering?

2. What is one of Tess' duties on the ranch?

3. What does Adam tell Lily that Tess is planning?

4. Why is Tess willing to stay at the ranch?

5. When does Willa ride the fences on the ranch?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tess insist Willa do when she returns from checking on the deer in the woods, and what interrupts that?

2. With whom does Willa meet to make sure she is adhering to the rules of the will, what does Willa tell them, and what do they think about her ideas?

3. What does Adam tell Willa about a deer in the woods and what does Willa do about it?

4. Why is Ben's mother, Sarah, concerned about him and what does he tell her?

5. What does the will say about the ranch?

6. Who discovers Pickles' body, how does she feel about it, who else comes along, and what does he tell her?

7. Who is the second oldest daughter of the person in question #1, where did she come from and for what does she hope?

8. Where does Tess go after the funeral, who is her mother, and what is her mother like? Why did her mother marry her father?

9. What does the killer do after the New Year's Eve party?

10. Why is Willa crying on the couch when Ben finds her and what does he do about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Willa Mercy is no exception. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Willa demonstrates her strengths. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Willa's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Willa's admirable traits makes her popular and able to help with many problems of her family and friends. Have her flaws impacted her life? Do any of her friends notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following to discuss:

1. Choose two significant symbols and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal symbols? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other symbols that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Roberts chooses the symbols she does?

2. Choose two important metaphors and trace and analyze their appearance in the novel. Are these universal metaphors? Would they be understood in any culture? Are there other metaphors that would portray the same idea? What are they? Why do you think Roberts chooses the metaphors she does?

3. Discuss Nora Robert's use (or lack ) of literary device (such as foreshadowing, clifthangers, deux ex machina, etc...), and how they add or detract from the story. Does Roberts use too many or too few literary techniques? State which of the five major elements of fiction the literary device is related to (style, character, plot, setting, theme).

Essay Topic 3

The main antagonist in Montana Sky is Jim Brewster, a man who has discovered he likes to kill animals and later people. The secondary protagonist is Jesse Cooke, a man who abused his wife.

1. With research, discuss whether someone like Jim Brewster should be considered innocent by reason of insanity. Use examples from Montana Sky to support your answer.

2. With research, discuss the difference in crimes committed by males versus females.

3. In your opinion, discuss why you think most violent crimes are committed by men and what is the difference between men and women that causes this phenomena.

(see the answer keys)

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