View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Kino's father tells Kino that Jiya is not yet ready to _______________.

2. Sometimes Kino and Jiya swim to a small island owned by whom?

3. Which of the following does Kino NOT discover about the sea and why Jiya is afraid of it?

4. What are Kino and his family doing at the beginning of Section 2?

5. The person who owns the island lives in a ___________________ on the mountainside.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Setsu's excitement about Jiya's becoming a part of their family foreshadow?

2. How does Kino's father divert Kino's thoughts from the destruction of the big wave?

3. What is at the base of the mountain and why does Kino's father go there?

4. What does Kino want to do with Jiya after they eat dinner?

5. Why does Kino's father tell Kino that it is good for Jiya to get more sleep?

6. What is Kino's experience when the volcano starts to become active?

7. What does Kino's father tell him when Kino asks if they must always be afraid of something?

8. Why does Kino's father say they must wait for Jiya?

9. Why do Kino and his family surround Jiya as he begins to awaken?

10. How does Kino understand that Jiya's father is even afraid of the sea?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

THE BIG WAVE is a classic story of loss and renewal. What does that classification entail? Why does this book fit into this category? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of the Old Gentleman. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point in his life?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the overall setting for the book. Why does Buck use the setting she does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 740 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample