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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. Who does Conrad tell that he has quit the swim team?

2. What midterm does Conrad need to study for in chapter 8?

3. What word best describes the meeting between Conrad and Karen?

4. In what class does Conrad have a pop quiz?

5. Who calls attention to Conrad's issues?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Conrad feel he has let Beth down?

2. Why does Conrad have trouble sleeping after his pop quiz in trigonometry class?

3. What does Conrad use as an excuse to quit the swim team?

4. Why doesn't Conrad tell anybody that he has quit the swim team?

5. The morning that the novel starts, what things does Conrad wonder?

6. How was attention called to Conrad's issues before he went to the mental hospital?

7. Why does Cal want to see Dr. Berger in chapter 17?

8. Describe the new goals that Conrad sets for himself.

9. What does Conrad's dream of being confined in a tunnel represent?

10. What is Cal's role in his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Cal and Conrad grow progressively closer throughout the novel. What are the steps in the development of their relationship? What is their relationship like at the end of the novel and why?

Essay Topic 2

Beth is a perfectionist, and Conrad is afraid to make mistakes. Describe the ways in which perfection is a major theme in the novel. Which characters strive for perfection? How does it affect their life and character development?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze cause and effect in the novel. For example, Karen's death causes Conrad to have an emotional breakthrough. Analyze at least three different causes and effects in the novel.

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