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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 is the name of Ish and Em's second child?

2. What vegetable does Ish grow in his garden in Year Two of the Quick Years?

3. On his way back to town after his illness, what does Ish do when he reaches Johnson's?

4. While exploring the city, Ish finds a body hanging from a telephone pole. What does the sign say that is attached to the body?

5. Who does Ish meet when he is loading up his station wagon for his cross-country trip?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is notable about how Ish acts on his trip home?

2. How does Ish feel after he finally discovers what has happened to everyone?

3. Why do the young men, though they have probably suffered, have less lines in their faces than someone in the old civilization would have had?

4. Until he arrives at the desert, what are a few of the things Ish worries about the most?

5. Why does Em start crying when she tells Ish about her pregnancy?

6. Does Ish seem to treat Joey differently than everyone else? Why or why not?

7. Is Ish a good leader for the Tribe? Why or why not?

8. Why does Ish worry so much about Evie's state?

9. Who does Ish think is his last companion?

10. What was the significance of Ish taking the hammer with him to meet Charlie instead of another weapon?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After the first few chapters of the book, Ish begins collecting companions. Each one interacts with, and affects, Ish in a number of different ways. What effect do the people in Ish's life have on him and his plans? What do the interactions between these people say about Ish, and how did their influences affect the outcome of the story?

Essay Topic 2

At the end of the book, Ish notices that, even though the rest of the city has burned, the university library is still intact. What is the significance of the library's survival?

Essay Topic 3

As the book progresses, the author puts a number of subtle hints into the text about how things are changing. For instance, at the end of the book, immediately before Ish dies, a messenger comes to report that the tribe is going to move. Why did the author choose this point in the story for the tribe to move? Do you think they only moved because of the fire? What could the events surrounding this final scene symbolize?

(see the answer keys)

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