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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 kind of night was it?

2. What does Aunt Marguerite do with Skelly after dinner?

3. What were the men doing outside the Senior Center?

4. What did Jake miss as he prepared his book report?

5. What was the cop's attitude?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to Jake at school in regard to his book report?

2. How did Jake spend the day when the police were looking in the park?

3. Why where the family members celebrating when the policeman came back from exploring the park, and why was it somewhat odd?

4. What surprised the family about the segment on the evening news?

5. What was different when Jake went home from school after the fire drill?

6. What problem did Jake have with his book report, and how did his teacher response?

7. How did Jake treat Mrs. Russell?

8. Where had Aunt Marguerite been?

9. Jake watched Mrs. Russell out the window as she helped Skelly. How did she treat him?

10. What was the policeman like who helped Jake look for his grandfather?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the incident where Skelly breaks his wrists symbolize the breaking of his life?

Essay Topic 2

How does the author show the changes in Jake as he ages throughout the book? What new choices does he have in his life, and how does he decide to face these choices?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Jake connect so much with "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck? How does it remind him of his own life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 637 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample