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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 does Kayley get paid to clean Mrs. Ringrose's house?

2. Where did Olive get her car in "Motherless Child"?

3. What type of cereal does Olive go to get the children?

4. Where did Louise Larkin come from?

5. In "Motherless Child," what type of car does Olive have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Suzanne tell Bernie Green about an old stuffed animal she had as a child?

2. Why was Olive bored at the baby shower for Marlene Bonney's daughter?

3. Who is Kayley Callaghan?

4. What does Jack remember about his wife and his gallbladder surgery?

5. How did the Larkin house burn down, and who died in the fire?

6. How were Bernie's parents killed, and how did he get out?

7. What talk do have Brenda and Kayley have about money in "Cleaning"?

8. Why did Jack and his wife move to Crosby?

9. How many children does Christopher have and how old are they?

10. Where and when does Kayley work when school is out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Larks are a wealthy family who seem to think they are better than other people. What secrets is the family keeping? How are their private lives different than their private? What is revealed about public and private lives through the Larkins?

Essay Topic 2

Olive sees her former student Andrea at a restaurant. Why does Olive speak to Andrea? In what way are both women facing loneliness? How do they cope with their loneliness?

Essay Topic 3

Kayley is an eighth-grader whose father died two years ago. What type of relationship did Kayley have with her father? How has his death affected her life? How does she deal with the loss?

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This section contains 755 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample