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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. Where does Dave sleep in this chapter?

2. What do Beth and Dave think Toph is not ready for yet?

3. What usually prompts Dave and Toph to tidy the house?

4. What does Dave get bored of saying?

5. Why do Dave and Toph have to rush to the school open house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Dave help his mother in the first chapter?

2. How does Dave's situation change at the beginning of chapter 3?

3. How does Dave's disorganization affect Toph?

4. Why does Dave not date many women?

5. What kind of relationships with women does Dave have during this period?

6. Why does Dave call a nurse rather than take his mother to the hospital?

7. Give an example of Dave and Toph's being late.

8. In what way does Dave struggle with the memory of his parents in Chapter 4?

9. What does Dave do when he gets lonely in Chapter 5?

10. Why does Dave think it is important to go to the gym?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Dave's obsession with death affect his life? How does he get over his obsession?

Essay Topic 2

Examine Eggers' writing style. How would you describe his prose style? What kind of vocabulary does he use? Does he use any specific writing techniques? What meaning does Eggers' style give to his story?

Essay Topic 3

Choose two of the following and describe how his/her character matures in the book.

1) Beth

2) Dave

3) Toph

4) Kirsten

(see the answer keys)

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