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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Harv Kline say after the "sweet" rifle accidentally discharges?
(a) "Bang!" (p. 95)
(b) "What--" (p. 95)
(c) "Take that..." (p. 95)
(d) He curses

2. For what did sailing ships in the Revolutionary War use black power?
(a) To cook meals
(b) To charge their cannon
(c) As a fuel in the engine
(d) They didn't use blackpowder onboard sailing ships

3. What breed of dog is Sissy?
(a) Yorkshire Terrier
(b) Collie
(c) She's a mutt
(d) Greyhound

4. In Missouri, one of Richard Allen Mesington's neighbors tells him stories about what historical world event?
(a) Custer's Last Stand
(b) The 9-11 terror attacks
(c) World War II
(d) The Seminole War

5. According to the novel, what would Richard Allen Mesinger have done had he not been shot?
(a) Built a second "sweet" rifle
(b) Married Sarah
(c) Murdered Harv Kline
(d) Found a "genetic cure for heart disease"

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Richard Allen Mesington refer to the first bear he sees as an infant?

2. According to the novel, how many baseball games did Richard Allen Mesinger watch in an average year?

3. How does Richard Allen Mesington think about firearms?

4. From age nine to ten, Richard Allen Mesington believes he will pursue which profession?

5. According to the novel, why were all guns kept loaded prior to 1850?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when the rifle accidentally discharges above Harv Kline's fireplace?

2. Describe the several career paths that Mesinger contemplates during his early life.

3. What happens to the adults that survive the accidental death of Richard Allen Mesinger?

4. Describe the chain of events that leads to the rifle being above Harv Kline's fireplace.

5. Imagine that you came into possession of the "sweet" rifle instead of Tilson. What would you do with the rifle if you did not know its history? What would you do with the rifle if you did know its history?

6. Do you think that Harv Kline feels he got a fair exchange with Tim Harrow?

7. Is the "sweet" rifle a work of art?

8. The novel openly mocks Tim Harrow's personal philosophy that draws from firearms and American history, the United States Constitution, and Christianity. Do you think that these sources of information are suitable for mockery?

9. How many people own the "sweet" rifle?

10. Tim Harrow is characterized as a fringe "crazy" person; the narrative openly mocks him. What actions does he perform in the novel that would make you shun him in the real world?

(see the answer keys)

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