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 color is the door to Augie's dorm?

2. What is Woody doing when Alex arrives at the trailer?

3. What does Houten say he is getting for Raoul at the end of Chapter 15?

4. What does Doug refer to as "poison" when he enters the trailer?

5. What does Doug suggest Nona give Woody to eat?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Milo tells Alex that he will pursue the Swopes case after he's done with the rapist's case, why do his words chill Alex?

2. Why does the optimism in Garland Swope's ledgers end in Volume X?

3. What reason does Raoul give Alex for choosing oncology as his specialty?

4. What does Alex think about as he tries to fall asleep on his first night in the Bel-Air Hotel?

5. Why does Alex decide to follow the car he encounters as he leaves the Retreat?

6. Why does Alex believe the diagnosis of cancer in their child must have been especially hard on the Swopes?

7. Why does Doug feel he, Nona, and Woody are a family?

8. Why does Raoul initially refuse to leave La Vista?

9. How does Alex gain access to the trailer where Nona and Woody are staying?

10. What reason does Ezra give Alex for leaving very quickly the first time he met Mr. Swopes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is Milo's and Alex's friendship like? Why is it important to the development of the characters? How does the friendship affect the plot?

Essay Topic 2

How does the relationship between Raoul and Alex change as the novel progresses? What causes the change? How does Alex feel about Raoul at the end of the novel? Why?

Essay Topic 3

What does the single, normal tree standing at the end of Mr. Swopes' greenhouse symbolize? Why does the author include this striking example of symbolism? What does it add to the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 768 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample