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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. What was strung up like garland in the wall?

2. What was on the desk that caught the light?

3. What was the only piece of furniture in the dining room?

4. What did Jared do to block out the noise in the house?

5. For what did Mrs. Grace go to the store?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the note at the beginning of the book say, and what does the book store clerk give the authors? What is the authors' response?

2. What does Jared recall about the events in his life since his parents' divorce and what does his mother suggest to him about their new home?

3. What does their mother make Mallory do with the dumbwaiter and how can Jared see where he is?

4. What does Jared see the first night when he is startled awake?

5. What does Jared think about on his brother and sister's future and his own while he stands in front of his new home?

6. What do the Grace children tell Ms. Black when they meet?

7. What does Simon do first in his new bedroom?

8. What is the additional worry about the Graces' new home?

9. What does Mallory say about their new home, why does Jared think it will be good for Simon and what does he think of the home as far as he is concerned?

10. What does the poem that Jared found contain and what does he hear as he is thinking about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many novels, and perhaps a majority, of novels ends on a happy note. Discuss the following:

1. Why do you think many (most?) people want what they perceive as a happy or good ending to a novel? Explain your opinion. Do you? Why or why not?

2. What are three reasons to read fiction? Discuss each one in light of The Field Guide.

3. Do you think reading solely for entertainment is as good a reason to read as any other? Why or why not? Can any work of fiction or non-fiction, no matter how poorly written, enlighten, teach, stimulate thought? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Grace feels the dangers in the house, but is concerned with things like finding out that Jared has been running around the attic.

1. Why do you think Mrs. Grace is alarmed at Jared's behavior? Use examples from The Field Guide and your own life to support your answer.

2. Have you ever felt that life was scary because it was uncertain? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life to support your answer.

3. What are some of the things you think are absolutely certain about life and what are some that you think are completely uncertain?

Essay Topic 3

Whenever reading a science fiction or fantasy novel, one must become familiar with new terminology that explains concepts or technology that is not a part of the "real" world. In the case of The Field Guide, much of the setting is familiar to the reader, though there are new ideas and terms to learn. Discuss the following:

1. Find five terms that are a part of The Field Guide's world that occur in the "real" world but are used differently in The Field Guide's world. Define the words as used in in The Field Guide's world and compare those five words as to how they are currently used in the American English language.

2. There are ways of learning about a new world or time when reading a science fiction or fantasy novel. Discuss the ways you were able to understand the world of The Field Guide. Did you have to look up any words? What does it mean to learn a word through its context? Do you have to do that in The Field Guide? What word(s)?

3. Were there any words you never really understood from The Field Guide? Which ones?

(see the answer keys)

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