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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 did the Cooleys want to take a more Westernly route?

2. What kind of group picture is included in the first chapter?

3. What was Laura's occupation at the beginning of the book?

4. What did the people in Nebraska say would be needed for their crops to succeed?

5. How wide was the Platte River?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when the Cooleys lost their dog along the trip?

2. What did Laura do to prepare for her family's trip?

3. What did the Wilders think of Lincoln?

4. What was so different about Stanton?

5. What services were the Wilders able to get in Yankton, and what were they surprised to not be able to find there?

6. What are the three "Miss" States that Rose talks about in the first chapter?

7. What did the Wilders see in Yankton?

8. What did Laura marvel at while passing a farm in Nebraska?

9. What did the Wilders buy when near the James River, and how much did they pay?

10. What kind of pictures are included with the first chapter of this book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are Rose's final words in the book, and what do they imply? How do these words sum up the entire theme of the book?

Essay Topic 2

The people in this narrative all had their own goals and motivations. Select 4 people and write their main motivation throughout the book and how this goal affected the people around them.

Essay Topic 3

What role does the lap desk play in the story, and what does it symbolize? How is the plot altered by the presence of the lap desk?

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