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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 country was the boy whose shooting Sam witnessed originally from?

2. In Chapter 2, what does Sam do when Ally goes out with her friends?

3. In Chapter 6, what does Sam often do after weight lifting?

4. What street does Sam run down after seeing what shocks her on her late-night walk in Chapter 18?

5. In Chapter 4, what is Joe's latest project?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Sam think is a bit unseemly about the general American obsession with physical optimization and self-improvement in Part III?

2. What are some of Sam's happiest memories of being with Lily and Ally?

3. In Part III, what exercise does Sam start doing and how does it make her feel?

4. What does Sam realize about the effect of her own love for Ally on Sam's perception of Ally?

5. What does the reader learn about Matt's and Sam's history in Part III?

6. What is the first of Sam's so-called "rage events"?

7. Who does Sam call for advice about how to handle what she sees the police do in Part III and why?

8. Why is Sam's open mic night such a terrible disaster?

9. In Chapter 18, what does Sam witness that greatly disturbs her?

10. When does Sam feel an intense wave of loneliness in Part III?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Spiotta treat the topic of the effects of technology - especially social media and digital images - on relationships throughout this novel? Write an essay explaining your answers. citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How and why does Sam seem to finally make peace with relinquishing some control over Ally's life? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Spiotta explain, in some cases by comparison and contrast, the different ways the main female characters in this novel deal with the aging process? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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