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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. What does Vivian do with her copy of Anne of Green Gables that is found in the attic?
(a) She gives it to Molly.
(b) She gives it to Terry.
(c) She burns it.
(d) She throws it away.

2. What is Molly's favorite novel that she attempted to steal?
(a) Anne of Green Gables.
(b) To Have and Have Not.
(c) The Old Man and the Sea.
(d) Jane Eyre.

3. Who is the woman that oversees the children on the orphan train in 1929?
(a) Mrs. Thompson.
(b) Mrs. Ross.
(c) Mrs. Scatcherd.
(d) Mrs. Murphy.

4. What name do the Byrnes give to Vivian when they adopt her?
(a) Sarah.
(b) Marie.
(c) Emily.
(d) Dorothy.

5. How would you describe Molly's sense of style in the beginning of the novel?
(a) Hipster.
(b) Preppie.
(c) Goth.
(d) Nerdy.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Molly live before she went into foster care?

2. Who does Molly argue with in her English class about the novel Jane Eyre in Section 2?

3. Where does Vivian's family take a tenement room for ten dollars a month after arriving in New York?

4. Before fostering Molly, her foster parents fostered a boy that attempted committing what crime?

5. What is the one item of jewelry that Vivian has retained from her early childhood on the orphan train in 1929?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the narrative style of Orphan Train? Who narrates the story? Are there transitions in the narrative style?

2. What conversation takes place between Vivian and Dutchy on the orphan train in Minneapolis?

3. How would you describe Molly's emotional shield in the beginning of the story? What led to the development of this shield?

4. How would you describe the "historical" aspects of the novel? Is the author effective in illustrating the historical realities of the time period?

5. What is indicated by Molly's response when Vivian asks about Molly's mother in Section 2?

6. What are Molly's first impressions of the attic when she is taken there in Section 2? Who leads Molly to this area of Vivian's house?

7. What transition occurs when Molly opens the first box in the attic in Section 2? How does the narrative style of the novel change?

8. What foreshadowing can be seen through the meeting of Molly and Vivian in the beginning of the novel?

9. Discuss the literary allusions in the novel. What two literary works are referenced repeatedly? What do these books have in common with the characters of Orphan train?

10. How would you describe the language style of Orphan Train? What are some noteworthy aspects of the wording used by the author?

(see the answer keys)

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