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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 color ribbons are used to mark turtle nests?

2. What does Trent do for a living?

3. How much is annual tuition at the all-girls boarding school Twigg Academy?

4. How tall is the man that Richard finds hiding in a sand pile in Chapter 1?

5. In Chapter 1, how many times has Dodge Olney been arrested for robbing loggerhead nests?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the police discover when they start looking for Malley in Chapter 4?

2. How do Skink and Richard get a boat in Chapter 10?

3. When and where was the last known population of the ivory-billed woodpecker wiped out?

4. How did Skink lose his left eye?

5. What does Richard's mother do for a living?

6. What does Richard carry for protection on the beach and why?

7. How does Skink get supper on the first day that he and Richard are traveling to find Malley in Chapter 6?

8. How does Skink hurt his right foot in Chapter 8?

9. What happens when Richard is stopped by the Highway Patrol while he is driving in Chapter 9?

10. Why does Skink go diving in the river in Chapter 10?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard discovers a lot about himself through his journey in the novel. What does Richard learn about himself, and how does that help him to grow and mature?

Essay Topic 2

Malley threatens to tell Richard’s mother about something he did. Why does she threaten to tell what Richard did, and why is Richard so concerned that Malley will tell his mother that he hesitates to share that Malley is missing? What does this reveal about both Malley and Richard's characters?

Essay Topic 3

Malley and Richard have a strong relationship. How would you describe their relationship, and why did this relationship lead Richard to go looking for Malley?

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