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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 qualities is Captain Kidd careful to present in his appearance when he reads the news?

2. Why does Captain Kidd read news of discoveries in electromagnetism to the crowd in Wichita Falls?

3. What was Johanna traded for, when she was brought in?

4. Where did Jefferson Kyle Kidd grow up?

5. What does Captain Kidd see on Johanna’s face when he meets her?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Johanna fare once Captain Kidd starts teaching her English?

2. How does the Miss Dillon say that Johanna resembles the doll she gives her?

3. How is Johanna saved from being left with Simon and Miss Dillon?

4. What arrangements is Captain Kidd making in his letter to his daughters?

5. How does Mrs. Gannet fare, taking care of Johanna in the hotel room?

6. Why is Johanna nervous when they encounter the army on the road in Chapter 5, and how does Captain Kidd take care of her?

7. What kind of impression does Johanna’s appearance makes on Captain Kidd?

8. Why is Britt Johnson hesitant to take Johanna to San Antonio himself?

9. How does Captain Kidd settle his own doubts about whether he can take care of Johanna?

10. Where does Johanna run off to in Chapter 7, and how does Captain Kidd get her back?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

For Captain Kidd, the frontier is the outer edge of civilization, but from San Antonio and Houston, the modern world was much closer by. What changes were taking place in the outer borders of Captain Kidd’s world, and how would those changes affect life in the towns and cities where News of the World takes place? What were the dominant tensions in that modern world, and how do you think the main characters would adapt to those new tensions?

Essay Topic 2

Where is the climax of this book? Are there different climaxes? What questions does each climax resolve? What questions does each climax leave unanswered? How does the book regulate the tension between tense periods and climaxes?

Essay Topic 3

Evaluate the ending of News of the World. Does it ring true to you? Does it successfully resolve the problems and tensions that preceded it? What would you change, if anything? What are you left wishing for closure on, if anything?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,088 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample