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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. Riley chooses a picture of which musician for their Bloglr avatar?

2. What class does Riley have second period?

3. Riley explains that they view gender not as a switch, but as a what?

4. Riley says that Congressman Sean Cavanaugh engages in what action when he is angry?

5. How does Riley style their hair on the first day of school?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the girl contemplating suicide contacts Riley, what piece of Riley's advice does she take that leads to negative consequences?

2. What is the significance of the author's allusions to The Catcher in the Rye and Bridge to Terabithia when listing Riley's favorite books?

3. What does Riley call their one formal outfit and why?

4. What is the significance of Riley's request to study with Bec rather than attending the political fundraiser?

5. How does it make Riley feel when the blog attracts more than 500 followers?

6. What does Riley do when overcome by self-pity while eating alone on the ramp?

7. What is symbolic about Riley's fleeting feeling of wanting to carve a word into the AP English desk?

8. What is the symbolism of Riley's choice of avatar when starting a blog?

9. What action does Riley describe as being "like a suicide ritual" (64)?

10. What is the significance of Riley's choice of an air raid siren as a waking alarm?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Determine the author's message regarding the power of communication.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's choice to tell the story of Symptoms of Being Human using the first-person point of view. What elements of the novel's themes lend themselves to this choice and what is the author's intended effect on the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Write a critical essay about the novel while using the critical power theory lens of queer theory. Use textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the treatment of gender roles, sexual identity, and other issues related to queer theory that can be found in the book.

(see the answer keys)

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