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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to paragraph 4, during what month did Anna experience her disaster?
(a) September.
(b) February.
(c) June.
(d) November.

2. What does the narrator say her mother did the first time she owes her existence to her?
(a) She saved herself.
(b) She was born.
(c) She met her first husband.
(d) She saved her daughter's life.

3. In paragraph 6, what does the narrator say her mother is able to live comfortably in?
(a) Extreme elements.
(b) The spotlight.
(c) Their farmhouse.
(d) Extreme poverty.

4. In paragraph 3, where does the narrator say she gets her information about her mother's disaster?
(a) Her in-laws.
(b) Her mother.
(c) Old newspapers.
(d) Her father.

5. What is something the narrator says happens when she is in her room and gets a "whiff of smoke from the stove downstairs" (para.2)?
(a) She panics and cannot breath.
(b) The stitches burn beneath her fingers.
(c) She knows her mother must be cooking something special.
(d) She scurries to make sure her mother is okay.

6. In paragraph 2, what does the narrator say she sometimes thinks her mother has no memory of from her youth?
(a) Devouring books and writing poetry.
(b) Double somersaults and heart-stopping catches.
(c) Cramming for tests and getting good grades.
(d) School dances and young love.

7. What did Harold and Anna do in midair during their act according to paragraph 5?
(a) Tell a joke.
(b) Kiss.
(c) Embrace.
(d) Change costumes.

8. Where does the narrator and her mother live?
(a) Vermont.
(b) Rhode Island.
(c) New Hampshire.
(d) Maine.

9. What is the name of the narrator's mother's act?
(a) The Floating Avatars.
(b) The Fledgling Abyssinians.
(c) The Fluttering Angels.
(d) The Flying Avalons.

10. What happened during Harold and Anna's act just before they were able to clasp hands in midair?
(a) A strong wind blew the tent away.
(b) A blizzard forced everyone to run for shelter.
(c) Anna went into labor.
(d) Lightning struck the main tent pole.

11. What does the narrator suggest may have been Harold's final thought as he fell into the crowd on the day of the disaster?
(a) I'm going to sue the tent company.
(b) Anna is with child.
(c) I don't want to die.
(d) A surprise that he did not have Anna's hands in his.

12. Who was the other half of her mother's act?
(a) Harold Avalon.
(b) Herman Adams.
(c) Hank Allendale.
(d) Henry Allen.

13. What detail about Anna does the narrator note was not mentioned in the newspaper accounts of the disaster?
(a) She was badly injured.
(b) She was Harold's wife.
(c) She was pregnant.
(d) She was blind.

14. What did Harold and Anna use for part of their act?
(a) Puppies.
(b) Strobe lights.
(c) Blindfolds.
(d) Colorful scarves.

15. What does the narrator say audience members ate while waiting for the act to begin?
(a) Popcorn and peanuts.
(b) Hot dogs and chips.
(c) Ice cream and candy.
(d) Hamburgers and French fries.

Short Answer Questions

1. What stands "cast in concrete" (para. 3) to commemorate the accident?

2. What does the narrator point out in paragraph one about how her mother moves through the house?

3. What condition does the narrator's mother have as explained in paragraph 1?

4. How many times does the narrator say she owes her existence to her mother?

5. What is the narrator's mother's name?

(see the answer keys)

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