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. What does Cal want Mart to get him from Noreen in Chapter 2?

2. In Chapter 9, when was the last time Brendan posted on his Facebook account?

3. How many square feet are in Cal's house?

4. When did Johnny Reddy go to London and leave Sheila and the kids?

5. What type of tops does Noreen usually wear?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Cal getting along in his new place?

2. Who is Mart, and what does he look like?

3. What does Cal feel when he wakes in Chapter 7?

4. What is the name of the village pub, and what does it look like?

5. In Chapter 4, what conclusions does Cal come to when he looks Trey over?

6. How does Cal draw out the kid who has been watching him, and what does Cal learn about the kid?

7. Why does Cal decide to help Trey?

8. What was Cal like when he was 19?

9. What is the view from Cal's place in the evening in Chapter 1?

10. Who does Cal meet on the way home in Chapter 6, and what do they do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Backstories are used to present information about events that happened before events in the novel. How do backstories provide insight into characters and events? What is the importance of backstories in the novel?

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 storyline? 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

Idioms are words or phrases that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does the author use idioms in the book? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand, especially for Cal? Why do idioms often require research to understand their meaning?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,117 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample