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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 does Loomis say about the night the bombs fall?

2. What does Ann think the visitor is bringing?

3. Who returns to the valley?

4. Who was to come to the lab where Loomis worked?

5. What animal ran off after Ann's family went exploring?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the valley special?

2. What does Ann daydream about as she is picking salad greens?

3. Why is the man there?

4. Explain why Ann is alone in the valley.

5. What does the man say possibly happened to Ann's family?

6. What does Ann decide to do to make cooking easier in the house?

7. Explain why Ann's parents left her home when they left to discover the effects of the war?

8. What does Loomis say he was developing before the war?

9. What does Ann worry about when she discovers that Faro has returned?

10. What does Ann decide to do as the stranger draws closer?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In chapter 11, Ann pieces together the story of Mr. Loomis and Edward and realizes that Mr. Loomis likely murdered Edward. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think you would have done when caring for Loomis and learning he had likely murdered someone?

2. Does Ann seem to take the situation seriously? Does her response seem to reflect a greater maturity than the typical 15 year old or about the same as the average 15 year old?

3. Would you have confronted Mr. Loomis as soon as he was able to interact? Would you have confronted him at all? Ann waits until she is leaving the valley--do you think that is the best course of action?

Essay Topic 2

When one reads any novel (or anything at all), one brings everything from one's own past and present to the novel and in how one responds to what s/he is reading. Discuss the following:

1. How influential do you think a reader's own emotions, education, ideas and experiences influence how the reader responds to a work of fiction?

2. What about your life do you think influences you in reading Z for Zachariah? How does it influence you?

3. Do you think there is only one interpretation for any book? Give a detailed discussion in your response.

4. Do you think fiction can precipitate change in a reader? Is the change usually temporary or long lasting? Discuss your response thoroughly.

Essay Topic 3

Ann watches the progress of the stranger and begins to worry that it might be someone who means her harm. Ann decides to hide all evidence of her existence by burying her garden and releasing her animals, then climbing up to a cave in the hills over her valley. Discuss the following:

1. Does it seem likely a fifteen-year-old girl would retreat from what is likely the only other human being in her surroundings for miles?

2. If you were Ann, would you adopt the same procedure to observe the person from afar for awhile? Do you think it would occur to you to do this?

3. How likely is it that the approaching human would harm another human who may be his/her only way to interact with someone else?

(see the answer keys)

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