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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. Where does Ellie take Katie to visit while she decides on the plea bargain?

2. Who is the second witness on the stand at Katie's trial?

3. What does Lizzie suggest as a possible motive of murder?

4. Katie tells the prosecution that she killed the baby but refuses to say what?

5. What happens to Coop's testimony at the beginning?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the prosecutor and Ellie say in their opening arguments?

2. What does Katie reveal at the end of Chapter 13?

3. What is Lizzie convincing the district attorney of in Chapter 9?

4. In Chapter 10, why wasn't Katie comfortable with the insanity defense?

5. When the prosecution questions Jacob, what is the prosecution able to suggest about Katie?

6. What happened when Ellie returned to the Fisher farm the first night of trial?

7. What was Katie's reaction to the plea bargain?

8. What does Coop suggest when Ellie goes to him as a sounding board for a new defense strategy in Chapters 11-12?

9. Who was the first witness and what did the witness say?

10. What do Katie and Ellie agree on about Katie's defense in Chapter 10?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ellie at first wants to pursue an insanity defense for Katie. Why? Is there any support for such a defense? Eventually, Ellie drops this plan and pursues another defense. What is it? Why did she stop pursuing the insanity defense?

Essay Topic 2

In Plain Truth, two of the protagonists are Katie and Ellie. Discuss how they are alike and how they are different. Are they opposites? Or is Ellie more like what Katie will be in twenty years?

Essay Topic 3

At various times in the book, Stephen and Coop appear in the story. When they appear, the author discusses Ellie's personal life. Why might the author have chosen to have these two men appear in the book and in Ellie's life? What purpose, if any, might they have to the story? Why might they appear when they appear, but not be around all the time?

(see the answer keys)

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