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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 does Beth think the chess game is the first time she ever sees it?

2. What happens to Beth at the tournament in Chapter 4, that she realizes in the bathroom?

3. How many pills does Jolene give Beth before her chess match in Chapter 2?

4. To whom does Beth wave goodbye, as the car pulls away from the orphanage?

5. What does Mr. Ganz request the school to allow?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Beth get the job of cleaning the erasers after arithmetic class?

2. Why does Beth attempt to steal pills from the pharmacy?

3. What does Beth use to fall asleep at night? Why?

4. Where is Beth placed, initially, at her first chess tournament? Why?

5. What are three things that Beth learns from taking part in her first chess tournament?

6. What do both Mr. Shaibel and Mr. Ganz think of Beth? Why?

7. What is the punishment for cursing? How does Beth know that what Ralph shouts from the Boys’ Ward is probably a bad word?

8. What does Beth think and do when a nice couple with an accent comes in to adopt a child?

9. What do most of the chess players at the tournament have in common?

10. What are all the children given at the orphanage in little paper cups? Why? How does Beth feel about this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oppression is a theme in this book. When does Beth first experience oppression? What other characters are also oppressed? Why? What do all of these characters have in common?

Essay Topic 2

Beth‘s determination regarding chess ebbs and flows throughout the book. What are two examples of when it ebbs and two examples when it flows? What events surround this increase or decrease in seriousness and competitiveness? How does this inconsistency affect Beth and her abilities at playing chess?

Essay Topic 3

Beth has her first taste of beer in Chapter 6 and compares the sensation of being drunk to taking the tranquilizer pills. What does this need for drugs say about Beth? How does this reflect an addictive personality? What other aspects of her life also show she has an addictive personality?

(see the answer keys)

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