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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. How likely is it that an arsonist can get away with the crime?

2. When did Charles Lummis die?

3. In Poland during World War II, what percent of the books in the country were destroyed?

4. How many books did the shipping department at Central move around Los Angeles five days a week?

5. When did Harry Peak die?

Short Essay Questions

1. What jobs did Harry have in Los Angeles?

2. Who was C.J. Moon?

3. How was money raised to replace the library books?

4. Where did condolences come from after the fire?

5. What was the first recorded instance of book burning, and what were the circumstances of that book burning?

6. What was and was not covered by insurance for the Central Library after the fire?

7. Why did Arin Kasparian start working at the library, and how did it change his goals for a career?

8. When did the fire department first get information about Harry Peak from the tip line?

9. What was the Career Onlie High School (COHS)?

10. What did Orlean discover about the library's reputation for being a quiet place?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Charles Fletcher Lummis was known as a journalist, poet, editor, historian, and adventurer. In what ways did Lummis deviate from normal or expected behavior in his everyday life? Why was he considered eccentric?

Essay Topic 2

Personification is a type of figurative language that assigns human characteristics to inanimate objects. How does the author use personification in the book? How does the use of personification assist readers in imagining scenes and objects?

Essay Topic 3

Why were librarians who worked at the library at the time of the fire traumatized? What were the working conditions like after the fire? How did those conditions cause stress?

(see the answer keys)

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