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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. Which of the following is not something Templeton prefers to spend his time doing?

2. Who first notices that Wilbur is free of his fence?

3. What reason does the old sheep give for why the people are fattening Wilbur up?

4. How does the author describe a spider's web at the beginning of Chapter 9?

5. How does Fern like the barn best?

Short Essay Questions

1. What might Mr. Arable mean when he says that maybe their ears aren't as sharp as Fern's?

2. How do the other animals feel about the fact that Templeton would have no problem with killing a baby gosling?

3. How might you compare and contrast the goose and Charlotte's attitudes toward life and death?

4. How would you describe Wilbur's feelings about his early life with Fern in Chapter 2?

5. How seriously does Fern take her new responsibility of taking care of the pig?

6. How might the goose's personality be described?

7. Why does Uncle Homer agree to buy Wilbur?

8. Why might the author include scientific information about spider's webs and legs in Chapter 9?

9. What kind of voice does Wilbur use to call for his new friend, and what does this voice tell the reader about Wilbur's development at this point?

10. How would you describe Charlotte's personality and interactions with other barnyard animals in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What lessons does Charlotte's Web teach about what it means to be a true friend? Consider issues such as how true friendships form, what true friends do for each other, and whether a true friendship might change its shape in various ways over time as the friends themselves change.

Essay Topic 2

One theme in Charlotte's Web is the idea that animals and humans depend on each other in various ways. Write an essay evaluating the different small and large ways the lives of the different characters are interconnected in a web of dependence. How are the animals and human dependent on one another? Are they always aware of this dependence? Do they teach each other any lessons?

Essay Topic 3

One of the most appealing aspects of this story is the humor it contains. Choose one of the following options to write about:

1.) Explain what various types of humor are contained in this story (such as wit, descriptions of slapstick situations, or irony) and provide examples of each, discussing why the author might have used each of these types in the telling of this tale.

2.) Focus on one specific type of humor contained in this story and discuss many examples of it, discussing how it adds to the meaning of the story and the reader's experience of reading it.

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