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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. When Frank goes to tell Gus about Ruth's departure, where do Frank and Jake finally locate Gus?
(a) The bar.
(b) The drugstore.
(c) The barbershop.
(d) The liquor store.

2. After Ruth insults Julia and the Brandts leave, Nathan asks Ruth if there is any way he can help her get rid of her anger. What is her reply?
(a) She says he can pray for her since that is what he does best.
(b) She says that she thinks her anger will only increase with time no matter what he does.
(c) She says he can talk to his kids more often.
(d) She says that he can stop telling her that everything will be okay.

3. How long does Emil's and Ruth's performance of Ariel's chorale composition last?
(a) 6 minutes.
(b) 48 minutes.
(c) 30 minutes.
(d) 12 minutes.

4. When Karl apologizes to Nathan, for what transgression does he apologize?
(a) For having premarital sexual relations with Ariel.
(b) For not telling him about Ariel's affair with Emil.
(c) For not working harder to find Ariel's murderer.
(d) For not looking after Ariel more carefully the night of the bonfire.

5. What does Frank's and Jake's grandfather give to them as a bonus for a job well done?
(a) Ten dollars for each of them.
(b) Five dollars for each of them.
(c) Twenty dollars for each of them.
(d) A gold coin for each of them.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Frank feel concerned about his father's ability to give his next sermon?

2. What is Nathan's reaction when Gus asks if Nathan would like some company after Ruth has left in anger over his choice of reading material?

3. What does Ruth tell Frank about God when they go on a walk to the river together?

4. What secret does Karl share with Nathan that he has never told anyone else?

5. When Jake refers to the possible identity of Ariel's murderer, Frank realizes he has been in denial about the possibility of foul play in Ariel's death. Prior to this moment, what has Frank been thinking happened to Ariel?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to cause suspicion to fall on Warren Redstone in relation to Ariel's disappearance?

2. What is the first action Frank takes when he gets home as a result of listening to Nathan's sermon?

3. How does Warren Redstone play a role in the altercation between Frank and Morris Engdahl?

4. Why is Frank initially not very worried about Ariel when she does not return home the night of the Fourth of July?

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

6. What causes Ruth to get less and less hopeful about Ariel's safe return as phone calls continue to stream into their home?

7. What is the significance of how Frank spends the money he has been saving up from the yard work he does for his grandfather?

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

9. 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?

10. 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?

(see the answer keys)

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