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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 did Dara's mother call the worn chaise in the bedroom?

2. Why do the other students pick on Bailey Bloom?

3. Which of the following did Dara's mother used to tell them about ballerinas?

4. Who is Dara married to?

5. What does Dara do with Marie's new scarf?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dara's, Charlie's, and Marie's house look like?

2. What begins to go wrong with the contractor, Derek, at the dance studio in Part II?

3. What does Marie do to prepare her own pointe shoes for wear?

4. How do the other students at the dance school generally treat the girl who is cast as Clara?

5. How do Charlie, Dara and Marie make the choice to not only repair, but expand, the studio?

6. How do Charlie, Marie and Dara originally meet?

7. What does Marie tell Dara about her affair with Derek?

8. What does Dara's and Marie's mother devote her life to?

9. What was the third floor of the dance studio originally for?

10. What does Dara remember about her mother's and father's relationship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Charlie explain his transgressions and mistakes to Dara just before his suicide, and how does Dara react to these explanations? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

One year after their house fire and Charlie's death, what does Dara's forging ahead with The Nutcracker performance mean for her own future and for the future of The Durant School of Dance? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

What does Marie do in the early part of the novel that causes such strife between herself and her sister Dara? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 611 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample