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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. In the family restaurant, Vincent gets to overhear

2. The second shoe on the podium was planted for what event?

3. Loretta's special psychic talent is

4. Kilgore's diagnosis for Reese's heart problem is

5. How does Beth's father's character come across when a body needs to be identified?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Beth agree with Laurie to undertake a photography job?

2. What makes Ben's disappearance an increasing nightmare for Beth Cappadora?

3. Why does Tree's husband curse at her for announcing her pregnancy?

4. What is poor little Vincent's most pressing fear at this time?

5. Why does Beth scream? What causes her to respond this way to the events around her? Is she crazy?

6. What does Beth's willingness to see a psychic indicate? What is Loretta's message?

7. What does the family counseling session reveal to Dr. Kilgore?

8. When Candy announces she will be married, what does Beth decide?

9. How does Christmas eve turn into a debacle at the Cappadoras'?

10. Discuss the significance of the discovery of Ben's small shoe.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

We live in a country that thrives on drama and fear. The media attention that was paid to Ben Cappadora's kidnapping is typical for this kind of crime, and often, the victims and even their perpetrators take on a sort of celebrity. Using the characters of Ben, the Cappadoras, George Karras and Cecil Lockhart, write an essay about how the media and press can affect the parties to a crime, both in positive and negative ways.

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the characters from this story and write an in-depth description of the effects on the character from the moment of Ben's disappearance until the end of the story. Provide details of, not only what is evident, but what might not be evident. (For instance, we do not know how Vincent felt about the neighbors' comments about having to take care of him, but what kind of effect might this utlimately have had on him?

Essay Topic 3

Their are many ironic moments in this story. Focus on one ironic event of your own choosing, and write about how the irony is crafted, why it is ironic, and how long it takes to understand the irony as one reads the story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 947 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample