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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 lake can Ana see?

2. Who frightens Wendell?

3. What does Sam try to do in the world?

4. What does Ana see Kim doing the following day, after Ana dug something up?

5. What happens when a man throws a bottle into the lot in the chapter “Sam”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the “Garcia Equation”?

2. How does Sam try to make people in the neighborhood friendlier?

3. How does the chapter “Wendell” begin to show that words are not necessary to bring cultures together?

4. Why do you think Wendell becomes attached to the bean plants, as Ana did?

5. Why does Ana describe her neighborhood in terms of the cultures within it?

6. How do the plants give Wendell hope?

7. Why do you think Tio Juan becomes “childish” in the book?

8. What were Leona’s grandmother’s experiences with doctors?

9. Why does Kim plant beans in the vacant lot?

10. Why does Leona want to plant goldenrod?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several times in the novel, the characters mention that the community garden gives them hope. Wendell, in particular, notes that he can’t change his life, but he can use the garden to change his circumstances. Sae Young, too, uses the garden to enhance her existence, as does Nora, and other characters. Choose three characters, and explain how the garden has given them hope, or changed their lives.

Essay Topic 2

What does the title mean? How is it used in the book? How are the pioneers of the garden “Seedfolks”? What did their efforts mean to the community? How did they enhance their environment?

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, Sam makes a conscious effort to make the neighborhood friendlier. Choose three times in the novel where another character mentions Sam, and explain how his efforts have helped the community. Why do you think Sam tries to improve his neighborhood? Are his efforts successful?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 777 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample