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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 level was the kitchen garden in Vermont?

2. What did the Nearings grow under a heavy hay mulch that required no hoeing, no bugs, no spraying, and almost no digging?

3. Under optimum conditions, when should wheat be ground if you are baking?

4. What newspapers got on board to help the citizens of the valley then the mail was canceled?

5. How did the Nearings decide to "warn" people before they arrived about life on their farm?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were Frank Lloyd Wright's basic ideas for building that the Nearings followed?

2. What about the Nearings baffled the neighbors the most?

3. Why were the music sessions a community success? What was different about them that made people want to stay and visit?

4. How did the Nearings decide to make maple syrup as their cash crop? How did this decision surprise them?

5. When others thought the Nearings were self-punishing, how did they view their life?

6. What happens to flour when it is processed?

7. Why did the Nearings decide on New England as a place to settle and not the southwest or other areas of the country or world?

8. What did the people drawn to the farm lack? How could diversity have been a good thing for the Nearings?

9. What, according to the authors, is the best part of building a building?

10. What was the Nearings' view of keeping animals? How far did this belief system go?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What was the outcome of the Nearings' constant appeal to neighbors to live like them, follow their food choices, and be open-minded about their political views?

Essay Topic 2

What were the Nearings' personal beliefs regarding meat? How did their beliefs change through the years?

Essay Topic 3

What were the Nearings views about the war? How did their views affect how they got along with their neighbors?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 853 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample