View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following do the children not bring for the live-in family?

2. What does Daddy reveal to Billie Jo?

3. What item is not made for this year's Christmas dinner?

4. How does Billie Jo test the difference between snow and dust?

5. What is Louise's best domestic skill?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain Billie Jo's cautious optimism where Louise is concerned.

2. Who is Louise?

3. Why are the migrant workers leaving the area in such large numbers?

4. For what things is Billie Jo thankful on this Thanksgiving?

5. With whom does Billie Jo share a train car for a short while? Explain that experience and what it teaches Billie Jo.

6. How does Billie Jo finally come to terms with the dust and its full impact on her life?

7. How does Billie Jo attempt to escape her life and the dust?

8. How did Billie Jo's time away change the relationship between her and her father?

9. Who are the unexpected tenants of the schoolhouse for a couple weeks?

10. How does Billie Jo block Louise's entry into a part of their lives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Mad Dog and what role does he play in Billie Jo's life as the story extends? Cite examples to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

How does Billie Jo view her mother before her death? How does her perception change after Ma dies? Are her reactions normal? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

At the end of the story, Louise places a bowl of perfect apples on the shelf. What is the significance of the apples to Billie Jo and to the story overall? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 835 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample