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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. What does Little Man ask Mam on their bus ride home from church in Chapter 11?

2. What ship's name is printed on Mr. Spiro's duffel bag in Chapter 15?

3. What does Mam chastise an older kid for doing at the zoo in Chapter 12?

4. What job does Mam always give to Little Man when making breakfast?

5. What does the word "copacetic" mean?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do you think Mam allows Little Man to accompany her at the end of Chapter 16?

2. What is significant about the abandoned ladder against the house in Chapter 13?

3. Why is baseball practice called off in Chapter 13? What does Little Man do instead?

4. What discovery does Little Man make about TV Boy in Chapter 14?

5. How does Mam respond to the situation in Little Man's bedroom in Chapter 16?

6. How does Little Man describe Ara T's hideout in Chapter 10?

7. What conflict occurs when Little Man goes to pick up his newspapers for the day in Chapter 13? How is the conflict resolved?

8. Why does Little Man have to lie in order to get the photographer to take a picture of him and Mam at the zoo? What does Little Man tell the photo booth operator?

9. What discovery does Little Man make when he goes for his final collection at Mr. Spiro's home in Chapter 14? How does Little Man respond to the discovery?

10. What does Little Man find when he goes for collection at Mrs. Worthington's home in Chapter 14?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the character of Mam in the novel. How would you describe Little Man's relationship with Mam? What characteristics does Mam exhibit? What are Mam's central objectives in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the character of Big Sack in the novel. How does Big Sack know Mam? What does Big Sack do for a living? What role does Big Sack play in the plot of the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of friendship and connection in Paperboy. With whom is Little Man friends in the beginning of the story? Whom does he befriend on his paper route? How does Little Man's sense of connection change in the course of the narrative?

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