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. Who is Miss Reillen?

2. Which part of the Mammal Building do John and Mr. Pignati really enjoy?

3. When Lorraine tells John about the bad omens at the zoo, what does he do?

4. John and Lorraine's book spans what length of time?

5. When he is in ninth grade, John likes to harass substitute teachers by rolling what across the floor?

Short Essay Questions

1. Can the reader figure out the fate of Mr. Pignati from the first chapter?

2. Why does John feel that everything he does at home is wrong?

3. What does John feel Lorraine lacks in?

4. How does getting busted at a wild party become a turning point for Lorraine in her relationship with her mother?

5. Why does Lorraine's mother ask her to skip school one day?

6. Describe Lorraine's and John's first visit with Mr. Pignati.

7. What do Lorraine and a friend, Helen, do at the party at Mr. Pignati's house?

8. Why does John's father stop drinking?

9. What reason does Lorraine give for undertaking the writing project she's working on with John?

10. How does Lorraine feel about Mr. Pignati when the police take her and John to their homes after the party breaks up?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast how John and Lorraine deal with the grief and loss they experience.

Essay Topic 2

1. Analyze the depth and range of emotions John and Lorraine experience during the week when Mr. Pignati is recovering at the hospital.

2. During this week, do you feel the teens mature, regress, or a little of both? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

John wants to be an actor, and Lorraine wants to be a writer. Explain how their personalities and views on life reinforce their career choices.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 758 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample