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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. How does Willa tease Ben?

2. About what are Tess and Willa fighting when Ben arrives one Spring day?

3. How does Willa liken the animal heads on the ranch walls to herself?

4. What does the killer slip under Lily's kitchen door?

5. How does Willa feel after she and Ben make love?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the killer do to Lily?

2. What does Jim Brewster tell Willa about his mother and her life?

3. Where does Jesse take Lily and what do they do once they are there?

4. What does Willa tell Jim after he tells her his story?

5. What does Willa tell the others about Lily during a dinner party Lily hosts?

6. At the spa, what does Tess say about Ben and why does she say it?

7. What does Lily confess to her sisters at the spa and what did Tess do for Willa?

8. How does the killer feel about Lily's wedding and what does he plan to do?

9. How do Ham and Willa reconcile after their fight and what does Ham do afterward?

10. What does Nate tell Ben the morning after the dinner party and how does Ben respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Often, authors will write about "what they know," and sometimes knowing a little about the author makes the books more interesting. Discuss the following:

1. Research and give a brief biographical sketch of Nora Roberts.

2. What in Robert's background may have helped her in writing Montana Sky? What may have influenced the way she depicts various characters and scenes?

3. Do you think there is always some of the author's own life in his/her novels? Why or why not? Give examples.

Essay Topic 2

Jack Mercy married three times and considered each marriage a failure when his wife had a daughter. His last daughter lived at the ranch with him, trying unsuccessfully to earn her father's approval.

1. Do you believe the fact that Jack Mercy lived on a ranch in Montana influenced his intense desire for a son? In other words, do you think a doctor in New York City would have been more likely to not care whether his child was a boy or girl? Why or why not? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. In many places in the past, and even in the present, female babies were often killed or left out in the elements to die. This has social as well as moral repercussions, for example, in China at present, males are having a difficult time finding a wife because the ratio of men to women is so skewed from female infanticide. Discuss the moral or social implications of cultures which prefer male to female babies. Use examples from the book to help illustrate your answer.

3. In many countries where there is a bias towards male children, even the mother participants in that bias. Discuss the implications for the mental and emotional health of females raised in a culture where such bias exists.

Essay Topic 3

When Nate is working up to proposing marriage to Tess and after his proposal, he lists the advantages of such a union. Discuss the following:

1. List three criteria which you believe are essential for a good marriage. Discuss why you choose those three and then discuss if you believe Tess and Nate's relationship possesses those qualities. Use examples from the text.

2. List three criteria which you believe make a successful marriage impossible. Discuss why you choose those three and then discuss if you believe Tess and Nate's relationship possesses those qualities. Use examples from Montana Sky.

3. Using the three criteria which you list for both a successful marriage and those which would greatly hinder a successful marriage, argue whether or not you believe Tess and Nate's marriage will be successful or a failure based upon the six criteria you cited.

(see the answer keys)

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