View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Does Beth beat Borgov in Mexico?

2. What does Beth NOT do before leaving the party house?

3. What is Townes doing at the tournament?

4. On Sunday, the first day they had off from the tournament in Chapter 10, Beth is coaxed by Benny Watts to do what?

5. Beth knows that the best way to beat Benny is to get him where?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Beth play against Benny at skittles in Chapter 10?

2. How does Beth react to not winning the tournament in Mexico City?

3. What does Beth do for the first time at the college party?

4. What is Mrs. Wheatley’s response to Beth winning at chess?

5. What does Benny’s apartment look like?

6. How do Beth’s and Mrs. Wheatley’s spending habits change throughout Chapter 5?

7. Why is Beth feeling as if her time with Benny is coming to an end at the end of Chapter 11?

8. How does Beth feel about losing to Benny Watts?

9. How does Harry Beltik help improve Beth skills at chess?

10. How does Beth feel, at first, at the college party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 8, when Beth plays the young prodigy and asks him what he will do once he is world champion. How will he spend the rest of his life? He looks at her puzzled. How would Beth have responded to this question if she had been asked when she was young? Why might Beth have asked this question? Might she also be asking herself this question? How does the struggle between Beth’s commitment to chess and life outside of chess show itself throughout the book?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 12, Beth quickly spirals down into alcohol abuse. What leads to this? How is this foreshadowed? What are the repercussions of her actions? How does she save herself and her career from alcoholism? What does this say about her?

Essay Topic 3

Beth is insecure in many ways. What are a few of them? How do you know this? In what is she secure? In what ways is she confident? How does learning make her confident? What can be learned by this?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 806 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample