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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. How does one of Martha's friends know so much about Down Syndrome, according to her account in the story?

2. What does John come across when he is walking one night, so he decides to lay down and sleep there?

3. Where was Martha before she comes home to her father crying about the diagnosis of Adam?

4. Why didn't Adam go home for the first few days of life, according to her account in the story?

5. Who does Martha decide to wait for on the phone with the nurse practitioner, keeping her on the line until this person arrived home?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the image that Martha had in a moment of despair when John left the apartment?

2. What did the doctor in the hospital accuse Martha of doing when she was admitted again for dehydration?

3. What began to happen when John was in Asia for his consulting job?

4. What was the negative experience that Martha has in one of her classes, causing her to not doubt what others thought of her decision to have the baby?

5. What did Martha recall happening when she asked for someone to help her save her baby?

6. Why didn't Martha go to the emergency room when she was ill and bleeding profusely?

7. What happened to Martha when she first arrived at the hospital with John?

8. What did Martha decide to do when she was heading over to see the nurse practitioner?

9. What did Martha and John learn from their parents when they talked to them about the diagnosis they learned?

10. What made it easier for Martha to grieve the loss of her normal child when she was visiting family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

John tries to convince Martha to abort the child should she hear anything negative about the baby.

Part 1: Why do you think John feels that abortion is the answer to any problems with the child?

Part 2: Why do you think Martha does not want to abort the child, no matter what is found?

Part 3: How would you handle the situation if you were in Martha's situation?

Essay Topic 2

The book itself is a memoir, told from the perspective of Martha as she learns about giving birth to a child who has Down Syndrome.

Part 1: Why do you think bringing up a child with Down Syndrome is more difficult?

Part 2: How might you respond if you heard your child was to be born with Down Syndrome?

Part 3: Do you think a person should abort a child if they know they're going to have developmental disorders?

Essay Topic 3

John and Martha's relationship is strained during the problems with her pregnancy.

Part 1: Why do you think there are so many problems between John and Martha?

Part 2: Do you think John and Martha needed to get counseling to help them out?

Part 3: How do you think John and Martha could have handled their situation better?

(see the answer keys)

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