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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. In "Peppermint Tea," how much of a percent does Joe get from Nora's talk?

2. What magazine does Nora see on display at the newsagent's in "Doors"?

3. What does Nora drink two hours before she decides to die?

4. How old was Nora in "The Successful Life" when she won a gold olympic medal for the 800m freestyle?

5. What is the name of the girl from Nora's school that she sees in "Doors"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are Ravi and Joe mad at Nora?

2. What does Nora learn happened to Izzy in "Fire"?

3. Why did Nora take the job at String Theory?

4. Who is the librarian?

5. What does Nora realize after she learns that Voltaire had a heart condition?

6. Who comes to Nora's door in "The Man at the Door, and why does he come to see Nora?

7. Who is Mrs. Elm, and why does Nora like to spend time with her when she is in school?

8. How does Nora respond to Mrs. Elm's question about how she feels in "The Chessboard"?

9. Why are there no lives where Voltaire is still alive?

10. In "Fire," what does Nora remember that she had loved about swimming?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Nora’s rock-stair life, Ryan Bailey is an old boyfriend. What have been Nora’s feelings about Ryan in her root life? How does Nora realize that Ryan’s persona is a façade? How does seeing him for who he is change her opinion about him?

Essay Topic 2

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the story line? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 3

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view in the book? How does the point of view influence what readers know about events and people?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 915 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample