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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 the lipstick that Ruth borrows from Beatrice?

2. Who is the first character introduced in the play?

3. Why is Beatrice annoyed with the person to whom she places a telephone call in Act 1?

4. Who does Beatrice receive a phone call from in Act 1?

5. When the scream is heard from upstairs, what sound accompanies it?

Short Essay Questions

1. What news does Ruth share with Beatrice at the end of Act 1?

2. Why do you think Zindel chose to switch back and forth between the science fair and Beatrice at home in Act 2?

3. Describe Beatrice's definition of a half-life.

4. Why does Beatrice decide not to attend the science fair?

5. When Beatrice receives a call from Dr. Berg, what is her response?

6. Is Beatrice is a good mother?

7. Why does Beatrice refuse to allow Tillie to call the doctor when Ruth falls into a seizure?

8. Compare Janice Vickery's presentation at the science fair to Tillie's.

9. What prevents Tillie from burying the rabbit upon discovering that it is dead?

10. What does Miss Hanley think of Beatrice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of life and death in Zindel's play.

a) Analyze the characters, the setting, and the story to uncover the ways in which death figures prominently in the play. What impact does death have on the characters?

b) What thing or person represents life in the play?

c) In the end, does life or death prevail in this drama?

Essay Topic 2

What is the overarching theme of Zindel's play?

a) Is the title of the play related to this theme?

b) In what ways does this theme become apparent in Tillie's monologues and in her science fair presentation?

c) Does the theme bring a positive message to the reader? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Tillie's presentation at the science fair. In what way do her findings relate to the play's overriding theme? Compare the effects of radiation on the marigolds to the effects of Beatrice's words and actions on her daughters. What are the implications in terms of Tillie's and Ruth's fate, compared to the fate of the marigolds?

(see the answer keys)

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