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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. How many days after Danny's bar mitzvah does Lieutenant Baker come home?

2. On Valentine's Day, where does Holling take Meryl Lee after seeing Romeo and Juliet?

3. What character does Holling think his father is like after he gets the contract for the junior high?

4. How much faster was Holling than any of the eighth graders who made the varsity cross-country team?

5. What color sneakers does Mrs. Baker wear when she and Holling go out to the track in March?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mrs. Baker say that the school has everyone practice for an atomic bomb drop?

2. What does Holling's father's concept of the new junior high look like?

3. What does Mr. Hoodhood want his daughter to do in March?

4. Why do Meryl Lee and Holling fight after Valentine's Day?

5. What story does the local newspaper report on May 3?

6. What does Holling learn when he calls his father's office to see why is father is late to take him to the Yankees' opening game?

7. In May, how are the eighth graders on the cross-country team treating Holling?

8. How did Lieutenant Baker survive when his helicopter was shot down?

9. What is Danny doing for Valentine's Day?

10. How does Mrs. Sidman react when the rats fall into her lap when she and other board members are visiting Mrs. Baker's classroom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In “The Merchant of Venice,” Portia pleads for mercy. How does Holling feel when he reads that speech, and what does he think about the concept of mercy as Portia presents it in her speech? How does he see mercy in his own life?

Essay Topic 2

Mrs. Baker takes Holling on an architectural tour of his town. What does Holling discover about his town and about himself from the tour?

Essay Topic 3

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 story line? 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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 993 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample