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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 Makina drink with Mr. Double-U?

2. What sound does the narrator say the earth makes when the sinkhole opens?

3. What pose does the man in the truck assume, after Makina surprises him?

4. What is Makina nervous about when she travels to the end of the world?

5. What has Makina packed in her rucksack?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mr. P. help Makina in her quest?

2. What is the obsidian mound that gives this chapter its name?

3. What kind of omen does Makina think she sees in the beginning of Chapter 3?

4. How does the old man explain the game of baseball to Makina?

5. What kind of relationship does Makina have with her boyfriend?

6. What slang does Makina use, and what is its effect?

7. How does the narrator describe the city Makina arrives in?

8. What is Makina’s river crossing like?

9. How does Makina handle the harassment she faces on the bus?

10. What arrangement does Mr. Double-U make for Makina?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Evaluate your own reading of Signs Preceding the End of the World—did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 2

Explore the role of the helper characters in Signs Preceding the End of the World. From Chucho to the old women and men, Makina gets assistance from a number of places. What do these supporting characters have in common? How do they compare to the characters who threaten Makina? What do those characters have in common as well?

What are the values that animate supporting characters on either side? How do these supporting characters, both benevolent and threatening, imply competing world views?

Essay Topic 3

Assess the nature and quality of Makina’s relationships with boys in Signs Preceding the End of the World. Who does she have relations with, and what are the assumptions that guide those relationships? Are all of her relationships similar, or are there qualitative differences between her relationships? What do her relationships with boys tell us about her character?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 761 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample