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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. Why are the neighborhood children kept from the funeral?

2. How do people know that Cecilia has attempted suicide a second time?

3. What prompts Lux to write all over her binder and her underwear?

4. What is Cecilia holding when she is taken to the hospital?

5. How long before her death does Cecilia begin writing her diary?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the Lisbon girls' party differ from other parties the boys have attended?

2. How did Cecilia Lisbon die?

3. How did the boys obtain Cecilia's diary?

4. What are Cecilia's two moods toward the end of the diary?

5. How did the emergency workers retrieve Cecilia's body?

6. Why does Mr. Lisbon have to take a tour of several cemeteries?

7. What were Mr. Lisbon's problems with the cemeteries he visited?

8. Describe Cecilia Lisbon's first attempt at suicide.

9. What do the adult boys discover about Mr. and Mrs. Lisbon after speaking to Mr. Lisbon?

10. What major revelation do the boys have upon entering the Lisbon girls' party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Communication--and the lack of it--plays a crucial role in the telling of this story. Please discuss ways in which the Lisbon girls communicate with the outside and with one another, as well as how a lack of communication affects the story.

Essay Topic 2

At the dance, Therese says to her date, "We just want to live. If anyone would let us." What does she mean? Are the Lisbon girls not living? Is she referring to Cecilia, or to her own future suicide? Is there someone or something refusing to let them live?

Essay Topic 3

The character of Dr. Hornicker recurs throughout the novel. What is his significance? How does he contribute to the story? What is his effect, if any, on the Lisbon family?

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