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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. Why will Oliver not be at Rebecca's fifteenth birthday?

2. Where does Oliver's car run out of gas?

3. Why does Joley threaten to boycott the wedding?

4. On July 15, 1990, Jane takes Rebecca to a YMCA to swim in what city?

5. When the truck stops at a roadside diner, what does Earl attempt to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Rebecca arrives at the Spregg home?

2. Where does Jane go after the plane crash? What takes place here?

3. How does Jane end up covered in manure?

4. How do Sam and Jane finally become civil toward one another?

5. How does Jane now act around Sam?

6. What takes place during Sam and Joley's conversation?

7. What happens when Jane arrives at the next location to meet Jake?

8. How does Oliver learn about where his wife and daughter are headed?

9. Why does Joley not want Jane to send Rebecca back to Oliver?

10. Why do Sam, Hadley, and Joley tell stupid jokes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rebecca hitchhikes to Sand Castle Lane and spends a night with Hadley on Mt. Deception.

Part 1) Why does she hitchhike here? Through what difficulties must she go to get to Sand Castle Lane? Why does she do this?

Part 2) What is the significance of the name Sand Castle Lane?

Part 3) The relationship between Hadley and Rebecca ends on Mt. Deception. What is the significance of this mountain's name? What connection does the name have with events in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Oliver's first love is studying whales.

Part 1) How do you know this is his first love? How does this affect his marriage and relationship with his daughter?

Part 2) How does his knowledge and love of whales make him overly confident? How does this also lead to an understanding of himself?

Part 3) How is this love of whales and the connection with water threaded through this story and in the lives of other characters?

Essay Topic 3

Rebecca's chapters are told in reverse chronological order.

Part 1) Describe the story that is told throughout Rebecca's chapters.

Part 2) Why are her chapters in reverse chronological order? How does this affect the telling of this story?

Part 3) One chapter breaks from this pattern. Describe this chapter. Why does it break with the reverse chronology? How does this affect the chapters prior to and after this chapter?

(see the answer keys)

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