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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. After Ruby's nightmare, what does Ivan do at night?

2. Who or what appears in Ruby's nightmares?

3. What does Stella say gorilla hearts are made of?

4. Where do the men place Stella's body after she dies?

5. Who took Ivan to a fast-food restaurants and baseball games?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story of Jambo?

2. In the story, how are wild elephants like Ruby trained to perform tricks?

3. How does Ruby's presence affect Stella?

4. How does Ivan's appearances at the mall as a young gorilla compare to his experiences at the mall as an adult gorilla?

5. How does Ruby's curious and questioning nature affect Ivan?

6. Why does Ivan draw?

7. Why does Mack delay in calling a vet for Stella?

8. Why was Ivan able to survive the transition from the jungle to a human habitat while his sister died?

9. Why does Mack buy Ruby?

10. How is Bob affected by Ruby's story of being saved by humans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the use of “boxes” in the story. What types of boxes exist in Ivan’s world? What are their purposes? At the end of the story, is Ivan truly free or is he just living in a nicer box?

Essay Topic 2

Ivan promises Stella he will make sure Ruby does not spend her life in the mall. Why do you think Ivan made that promise? Do you think Ivan intended to keep that promise when he made it? Why or why not? What event prompted Ivan to fulfill his promise?

Essay Topic 3

What prompts George to risk his job in order to post Ivan’s art on the billboard? Which character or characters help him make that decision and how do they convince him to risk his job for an animal? What do George’s actions tell you about his personality?

(see the answer keys)

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