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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. Why does Palmer run home and leave the boys behind in Chapter 12?

2. What smell comes to Palmer's nose as he walks onto the soccer field?

3. What hovers before Palmer's eyes before he runs after his friends to the playground?

4. What does Palmer feed the pigeon?

5. Where did Arthur put the body of the first ever pigeon whose neck he had rung?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Beans pull out of the freezer when the gang is at his house? What does he do with it? The author does not tell us how Palmer feels about what Beans has done. Based on what you know of Palmer, how does he feel about the prank?

2. What are some of Palmer's memories of his first pigeon shoot? What does this tell us about Palmer?

3. Once he has decided to name and keep Nipper, Palmer realizes he must divert the gang from coming to his house. Why does he want to keep the boys away? What are some of the excuses he invents?

4. Palmer describes the wish he should make after Nipper has been seen in the sky by the gang. What is that wish? Why can't he make that wish?

5. Who does Palmer find in his room the night before the pigeon shoot? Why? What do we learn about Palmer?

6. When Palmer opens the door on his birthday and finds Beans, Mutto and Henry there, he is elated. Why? Who are these boys? What do they represent in Palmer's life?

7. Beans begins to escalate the treestumping of Dorothy to get a reaction from her, but she gives him none. His cruel behavior escalates until Dorothy finally does react. What is her reaction, and how does this affect Palmer?

8. How does Palmer come up with the name for his pigeon? What do people feel about animals when they name them? How does Palmer feel about his pigeon?

9. What is The Treatment? What does it mean to Palmer to receive The Treatment? What does Palmer get after getting through The Treatment?

10. Palmer begins to identify a certain smell associated with the pigeon shoot. Describe the smell and how it injects itself into Palmer's life.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe Palmer's reaction to his mother's confession that she has known about Nipper for months. What does he feel? What does he tell her? How does this experience give him courage?

Essay Topic 2

Dorothy tells Palmer to simply tell everyone he does not want to be a wringer. Palmer believes this to be impossible to do. What does he explain to Dorothy about admitting he does not want to be a wringer? What are the consequences, and for who?

Essay Topic 3

Palmer tells Dorothy the story of learning how to float in a swimming pool. How does he relate this story to his relationship with Dorothy? Why does Palmer feel this way about Dorothy?

(see the answer keys)

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