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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. How long does Phin say that his family lived in a house in Brittany?

2. What is the name of Birdie's cat?

3. Where was Lucy brought up?

4. What type of cancer does Lucy tell Michael a friend has in Chapter 19?

5. What time does it get dark in Chapter 33?

Short Essay Questions

1. What story does Lucy tell Michael to explain why she wants passports?

2. Who was Birdie Dunlop-Evers, and how did she come to Henry's house?

3. What health issues did Henry Sr. have in Chapter 14?

4. Why does Miller think it is not a homeless person staying at Cheyne Walk?

5. What were the circumstances on the day Henry Sr. and Martina died?

6. What does Lucy tell Marco when he questions her decision to go to see his father alone?

7. Why does Lucy stab Michael?

8. What does Miller show Libby in Chapter 31?

9. Why was Libby adopted when she was a baby?

10. What does Libby receive in the mail in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A character arc is the inner journey of a character in a book. What is Libby’s character arc, and what situations influence her growth and transformation?

Essay Topic 2

In The Family Upstairs, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

Lucy and Michael were once married and have been divorced for ten years. What type of relationship has Lucy had with Michael? Why is she reluctant to ask him for help when she is homeless?

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