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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 color hair did Harry Peak have?

2. How many books were destroyed in the fire?

3. On the day of the fire, what time did a smoke detector set off an alarm?

4. What branch of the military did Harry Peak serve in?

5. How many counts of arson and murder was Glendale fire captain John Leonard Orr charged with?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Orlean decide to burn a book, and why was it difficult for her?

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

3. Who was Harry Omer Peak?

4. What was Charles Lummis's first job in Los Angeles, and how did he get to the city from Cleveland?

5. What were the first two libraries like in Los Angeles?

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

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

8. How did Orlean describe the Central Library when she first saw it?

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

10. Why was Mary Jones removed as city librarian?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The security department was headed by David Aguirre at the time the author was researching for the book. How large was the security department? Why was it necessary to have a security department? Why did one security guard compare the guards to psychologists or priests?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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This section contains 1,069 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample