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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 wakes Jessie in "Chapter 1"?

2. Who tells Jessie that visitors can rent the haunted trees?

3. What makes Jessie wonder if slavery has been overturned in Chapter 8?

4. What does Ma tell Jessie to say she is doing after school at the end of Chapter 1?

5. Why does Jessie say people waited until night to get sick in her village?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 5, what does Ma tell Jessie about clothing?

2. In Chapter 9, what does Jessie realize about the trees she thought were haunted her entire life?

3. What does Jessie do when Ma visits with Sally and Betsy in Chapter 1?

4. What does Jessie think when she first sees a row of school buses?

5. In Chapter 6, what things does Jessie overhear Clifton employees talk about?

6. What is strange about bathrooms to Jessie after she leaves Clifton?

7. How does Jessie avoid being caught by Clifton security in Chapter 6?

8. How does Jessie get inside the bread truck?

9. What happens when Jessie walks Katie home before she leaves Clifton?

10. In Chapter 8, how does Jessie almost give away her true identity?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explore how plot twists, or sudden reveals of information, are used in this novel. How do these affect the development of the plot? How do they affect the development of the characters? What makes the author's use of plot twists effective or ineffective?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the development of Jessie throughout this novel. Assess how the major events of the novel change her as a character. Also, explore how Jessie's personal relationships change her throughout the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze "Running Out of Time" as a thriller. How does this novel fit within the description of the genre? Are there other genres that may represent this novel better? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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