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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. When does the narrator share with his family the news of his date with Daphne?

2. How does the Old Man react to the news that the narrator has asked Max Bigelow's daughter out on a date?

3. When the doorman retrieves a childhood toy for the adult narrator, who does he have to fight for it?

4. While the narrator is watering the lawn, who walks by?

5. When Mr. Bigelow chats with the narrator as he waits for Daphne at her house, the man mistakes the young man for who?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator compare the prom to?

2. Describe how the narrator prepares for his date with Daphne.

3. Describe some of the pre-prom rituals.

4. How does the narrator get his fire chief hat back?

5. Why do the narrator and his friends parade back and forth in front of the Cosnowskis' house?

6. Describe Daphne's and the narrator's date.

7. Why does the narrator grow more and more uncomfortable at the party with Josephine?

8. How does the narrator's prom night end?

9. How does the narrator ask Wanda Hickey to the prom?

10. How does the narrator's family react when he says that he's asked Daphne Bigelow out on a date?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1. Describe the personality and any salient character traits of each of the following: Randy, the narrator, Mother, and the Old Man.

2. How do the personalities and character traits of these individuals complement each other in ways that make their family function together?

Essay Topic 2

1. Explain how the author chooses to lead up to the Shepherd family's experiences at the County Fair.

2. Is this method of starting with a present event and then looking back across time an effective one? Why or why not?

3. Is this technique used in other stories in the book? If so, cite at least one more example and analyze its effectiveness.

Essay Topic 3

A day at the County Fair turns into another opportunity for the author to showcase the Shepherds' eccentricities. Describe the fair experience from the viewpoint of each family member -- Mother, Randy, the Old Man, and the narrator. Who seems to enjoy the fair the most, and why? Use examples to support your conclusion.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 998 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample