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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Frank find it odd that upon his return to the house from Sibley Park, Ruth and Gus are sitting at the kitchen table together?
(a) Because Ruth has never liked Gus.
(b) Because Gus has never liked Ruth.
(c) Because Gus knows of Nathan's jealousy and thus avoids Ruth at all costs.
(d) Because Ruth knows of Nathan's jealousy and thus avoids Gus at all costs.

2. How does the whole town find out about Karl's secret he divulges to Nathan?
(a) Nathan spreads the secret around the town.
(b) Ruth overhears Karl's secret and tells Emil, who spreads the news.
(c) Karl decides to announce his secret at a town gathering.
(d) Frank and Jake overhear Karl's secret and tell Officer Doyle, who spreads the news.

3. What object does the sheriff hope to find in Karl's possession if his search warrant is granted?
(a) A knife.
(b) A shovel.
(c) A gun.
(d) A tire iron.

4. After Frank, Jake, and Warren Redstone hear sirens and Frank yells, "Here! He's here!" (168), what does Warren Redstone say to Frank before running away?
(a) "Thanks a lot, Snitch."
(b) "I wouldn't have expected this from you."
(c) "I forgive you for your actions today."
(d) "You've just killed me, white boy."

5. What plan does Frank have in order to find out what is happening between Nathan and Ruth when Nathan goes to fetch her from Emil's house?
(a) He plans to linger at Emil's after their conversation and to ask Ruth point-blank what she and Nathan have discussed.
(b) He plans to send Jake to Emil's house under the guise of helping Lise but actually to eavesdrop on their parents.
(c) He plans to plant a tape recorder in Emil's living room before Nathan arrives.
(d) He plans to hide underneath a nearby window so that he can overhear the conversation.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one activity that is NOT among the activities offered at the annual Fourth of July celebration?

2. What is missing from Warren Redstone's lean-to when Frank and Jake go to search it?

3. What kind of weekly appointment does Jake have in Mankato?

4. Why are Frank and Jake unable to play with Danny when they go to find him at the O'Keefes' house?

5. What job is Gus performing when Frank and Jake find him at the cemetery?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Frank so surprised to see Ruth and Gus sitting together at the kitchen table when he and the rest of the family return from Sibley Park?

2. What timeline does Karl present when he is questioned by the police?

3. Besides the sheriff's mention of Morris Engdahl, what happens to prompt Frank to tell the sheriff about Morris Engdahl's dislike of Ariel?

4. When the sheriff finally notices Frank standing in the doorway after the questioning, what idea does he provide that gives Ruth hope?

5. Who acts as the go-between, bringing news back and forth between the police station and the Drum family and how does this role fit the character's relationship to the family?

6. Why is it ironic that Ruth refuses to attend the New Bremen church service at which Nathan preaches right after Ariel's dead body is found?

7. What news does Gus bring to Ruth while Nathan is at the funeral home making arrangements for Ariel's funeral?

8. When Frank and Jake try to overhear yet another conversation at Emil's and Lise's house, their plan is thwarted. What is the cause of their plan failing?

9. What elements of family life at the Drums' home drive Ruth to leave the family to stay elsewhere for a while?

10. In what ways are the complicated nature of the grief cycle demonstrated to the reader through the experiences of Frank and Jake?

(see the answer keys)

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