View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Cal suggest Deb do for income in Chapter 27?

2. How many followers does the host of Shooting Stars say Cal has attained on his channel in Chapter 21?

3. What band does Kat play on Cal's cassette player in Chapter 17?

4. What season and episode of Shooting Stars appears in the end of Chapter 18?

5. Who is the autographed portrait of that Cal describes his father taking out from storage in Chapter 17?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Cal interview first at NASA in Chapter 24? What does this character talk about?

2. How have Deb's circumstances changed in Chapter 21?

3. Who is Tori and why is she important in the narrative?

4. How is Cal's fame described on the Shooting Stars finale in Chapter 21?

5. What does Cal's mom say to him about fixing people or situations in Chapter 25?

6. What is revealed about the hiring of Cal's father on the Shooting Stars finale in Chapter 21?

7. What cassette tape does Cal find in his room in Chapter 25? What does it signify?

8. How do the Shooting Stars episodes begin to change in tone by Chapter 18?

9. What image is flashed on the screen during the rocket launch on Shooting Stars in Chapter 21? How does Cal react?

10. Why does Leon feel upset at the celebration party in Chapter 17?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze and discuss Cal's character arc in The Gravity of Us. How does Cal change from the beginning of the novel to the end? What events and characters evoke these changes? How has Cal's perspective evolved in the course of the story?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Cal's actions against StarWatch in The Gravity of Us. Why does Cal take offense at StarWatch and the way the network portrays the astronauts and their families? Who does Cal solicit to help him expose StarWatch? What becomes of StarWatch at the end of the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of queer love in The Gravity of Us. How is homosexuality/bisexuality perceived by the characters in the novel? Does Cal's relationship with Leon cause any outrage from their families or friends? What statements do you think the author is making about queer romance in this novel?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 890 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample