View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the king initially offer Dick for his cat?

2. What birds cause the horses to tear around because the noise reminds them of crowds at the horse races?

3. What do Ben, Bernie, and Abby use to get hot water down to the barn when the road is blocked with snow?

4. What time do Bernie, Abby, and Ben get up in the mornings to care for the horses?

5. What does Bernie use to make a water dish for the black hen?

Short Essay Questions

1. What horse operation does Bernie describe seeing?

2. What argument does the Lady give in favor of Whittington moving into the barn?

3. What does the man who sells Dick Whittington his cat look like?

4. How does Whittington take his bath?

5. How does Lady stay safe from the rats?

6. What reasons does Dick give the carriage driver to try to convince him to bring Dick to London?

7. What happens when the owl encounters Ben, Abby, Whittington, and the Lady?

8. What are the first two horses that Bernie buys?

9. How do Abby and Ben change after the horses arrive?

10. Who brought the horses' ancestors to the Americas, and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ben learns to take control of his life through his experience in the barn and the stories about Dick Whittington. Discuss the idea of taking control of your life in the novel.

1) How does Ben take control of his life? What does he have to do, and how does he have to change?

2) How does Dick Whittington take control of his life? How does Dick's example help Ben?

3) What things are in and out of the characters' control in life? What can characters take control of, and how can characters deal with things they can't control?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss conflict in the novel, and how conflicts are resolved.

1) What kinds of conflicts exist between the characters in the novel, such as the conflict between the rats and the barn animals, and between Havey and the Lady? Why do these conflicts exist and how are they resolved?

2) What kinds of internal conflicts exist for the characters? How is Ben conflicted about learning to read? How does he struggle with himself to do what he needs to do to learn? How does Ben resolve his conflict?

3) What conflicts does Dick Whittington face? How are they resolved?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the settings in the novel.

1) What role does the barn play as a setting in the novel? How does the setting of the barn affect the story and the reader's experience?

2) What role does London play as a setting in the novel? How is the time and place of Dick Whittington's life contrasted with the barn?

3) What other settings affect the novel, such as exotic Tripoli, and the reading program classroom?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 873 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample