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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. Who interrupts Bec and RIley's conversation on the ramp to ask Bec for $5?

2. Which band does Bec NOT mention in her list of Riley's t-shirt collection?

3. For how many days has Bec been gone from school by the time she shows back up in a plaid skirt and a Cure t-shirt?

4. What is NOT a listed injury incurred by the transgender girl who is assaulted by her father upon coming out to him?

5. What word is shouted to Riley by someone inside the truck parked in Bec's driveway?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the reason for Riley's decision to continue responding to people who ask questions on the blog?

2. Which element of the political fundraisers is Riley's least favorite and why?

3. What does Riley see as the connection between Riley's father and Jim's father?

4. What does Riley reveal about their ability to pretend around Bec?

5. What quality of Riley's father's personality inspires Riley's envy?

6. When Riley stands up for themselves in the confrontation with their father, what actions do they list among the ones taken with the congressman's well-being in mind?

7. What is the significance of the note taped to the inside of Riley's vandalized locker?

8. What is the name of Bec's band and what type of music do they play?

9. When Riley comes home from a night with Bec to discover over 10,000 people following the blog, how do their actual feelings differ from their expected feelings?

10. Why does Congressman Sean Cavanaugh refer to President Ronald Reagan when getting Riley's advice for the song he should use for his walk-on music?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the novel Symptoms of Being Human from an Existential perspective. What elements of life does it suggest hold the most meaning and why?

Essay Topic 2

Look carefully at the passages of the novel that describe Riley's outreach through the creation of a blog. What is the author's purpose for discussing at length the nature of Riley's method of outreach?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the interplay between the resolution of the novel and the author's choice of narrator to relay the narrative. How does the author employ each and how does their juxtaposition help the author get across a main message of the novel?

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