View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of vehicle does Jack Kennison drive?

2. Who tells Kayley that Mrs. Ringrose is putting her husband in a nursing home?

3. How old is Denny Pelletier?

4. In "Cleaning," when did Kayley's father die?

5. Where did Jack's wife and Tom Groger used to meet?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What were some things that became a wall in Olive's marriage to Henry?

3. What problem is there during breakfast the first morning that Christopher and his family are visiting Olive?

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

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

6. What does Suzanne remember about a visit to her parents two years ago?

7. What did Olive do when she realized that Ashley was having her baby at the baby shower?

8. How did Suzanne's father make so much money?

9. In "Motherless Child," when was the last time that Olive had seen her son and his family, and how was the visit?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Olive feels ancient at 82. Why does Olive feel old? What advantages of being old does she realizes there are? Why does she find being old freeing?

Essay Topic 2

Olive is the main character of the novel. What type of character is Olive? Why do people either like her or dislike her? What does Olive learn about herself in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 869 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample