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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. At the premiere reading of the poem, who is referred to as "Bing-Bong"?

2. What do Shawn's parents explain to their friends "a trillion times?"

3. Who teaches Shawn to read?

4. What is Shawn's bad news?

5. How old is Becky, one of the teacher assistants?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what the special education class at Shoreline High School is like according to Shawn, and how the students behave.

2. What "techniques of making contact" does Shawn mention have not been tried on him?

3. Why does Shawn need medicine to control the seizures?

4. How does Shawn use the example of George Washington to show the reader that he knows more than he is given credit for?

5. What does Lindy say to her friend Connie about her feelings toward Sydney's abandonment of the family?

6. Why does Shawn think that it is cool to live in Seattle?

7. Despite his irritation at the world premiere reading of the poem, what things does Shawn like about the poem?

8. How does seeing the death of the dog make Shawn feel?

9. How does Shawn learn to read?

10. What does Cindy do when the dog is hit by a car?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One evening, Shawn is left with Vonda, his respite care provider. That evening, lying alone in the dark, Shawn hears his father come into the house. Vonda is a fan of Mr. McDaniel and asks for an autograph. How is Vonda's behavior toward Shawn and Sydney symbolic of the way they each are treated by the general population? How did this dichotomy come about? How does it affect Shawn's quality of life in general? What might it mean in particular on the night that Shawn's father's orders are followed unquestioningly? Provide examples from the novel to back up your point of view.

Essay Topic 2

Shawn, his sister, and his mother witness the death of a dog that is hit by a car. How does this experience affect Shawn and his perception of death?

Part 1) What are the circumstances surrounding the death of the dog? How is the dog injured? What do Shawn's sister and mother do when the dog is injured? What do they do when the dog dies? What does Shawn see and experience when the dog dies and what is his attitude toward death just after the dog dies?

Part 2) Why is it important in the story that Shawn remembers witnessing the death of the dog? How does the topic of death relate to Shawn's own life? Does experiencing the death of the dog affect Shawn? How does Shawn feel about death as he remembers the death of the dog, and what does Shawn think death means at this point in his life?

Essay Topic 3

One of Sydney McDaniel's main reasons for saying he wants to end Shawn's life is because he says he wants to end Shawn's "pain." What does Sydney think that the pain is like for Shawn when he has his daily seizures? Where does he get his information? Is he correct? Name three ways that Sydney's reaction to his son's seizures affects Shawn and the entire family?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,260 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample