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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. Once the family arrives at the County Fair, the narrator accompanies his father where?
(a) Riding the carousel.
(b) To the fire-breathing act.
(c) To the dusty dirt track.
(d) Riding the bumper cars.

2. What does the narrator say is one of the most popular playground games at his school?
(a) Four square.
(b) Dodgeball.
(c) Marble throwing.
(d) Top spinning.

3. When Farkas starts walking away from the narrator after their first top spinning contest, what does the narrator do?
(a) Laughs at his opponent, calling him a chicken.
(b) Runs after Farkas and tackles him to the ground.
(c) Brings out his best top and throws it with an ominous spin.
(d) Spends another two weeks practicing to improve his technique.

4. How long does the Shepherd-Bumpus feud last?
(a) Until the narrator goes off to college.
(b) Three weeks.
(c) Nine years.
(d) Until the Bumpus family moves away.

5. As the family drives to the lake, what happens when a chicken truck passes them?
(a) They have to put up with feathers and a foul smell for miles.
(b) It breaks down in front of them and they are stuck for hours.
(c) The contents of their roof rack fall.
(d) Randy has a sneezing fit because of his allergy to feathers.

Short Answer Questions

1. Because of the crowds, how far away from the County Fair does the narrator say his father has to park?

2. What is the Old Man's greatest nemesis?

3. What happens during the Old Man's favorite ride at the fair?

4. What does Farkas mean when he challenges the narrator to play for keeps?

5. When the Old Man gets himself a beer at the fair, what does he get for his older son?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the Old Man handle all the problems the family encounters en route to Michigan?

2. Describe the conditions inside the car during the drive to Clear Lake, Michigan.

3. On departure day, why does the Shepherd family fail to leave for their annual trip at six in the morning as planned?

4. What is top spinning, and why are the boys of Warren G. Harding Elementary School so obsessed with this pastime?

5. Describe the yard of the Bumpus family.

6. How does the Old Man feel towards the Bumpus family?

7. Describe the race that the Old Man and the narrator watch at the County Fair.

8. Where do the Bumpuses make their illegal liquor?

9. How does the author lead the narrator into telling the story of his top-spinning battle with Scut Farkas?

10. How does the narrator describe getting to the County Fair?

(see the answer keys)

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