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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 does Claire believe the stick she found will lead her to?

2. Who does Claire say radiation has even more endurance than?

3. Where is Claire heading for Christmas in Chapter 24?

4. What does Tobias compare Eastern bloc toilet paper to?

5. What does Tobias say his memory of life on Earth is?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Andy explain about his father's health in Chapter 25?

2. What does Andy's mother say on the topic of children never leaving home?

3. When Andy and Tyler go shopping on Christmas Eve, why does Andy believe people are looking at them strangely?

4. What is the significance of the title of the story Elvissa tells, "The Boy with the Hummingbird Eyes"?

5. In Chapter 28, what do we find out was the reason Tobias was attracted to Claire?

6. In her story in Chapter 18, what does Elvissa notice about the apartment Curtis is staying at?

7. What does Andy say about his brother Tyler's group of friends, the "Global Teens"?

8. What types of people are in attendance at Bunny Hollander's New Year's Eve party?

9. In Chapter 17, what does Claire describe as her memory of life on earth?

10. What does Andy describe planing in his parents' back yard in Chapter 23?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the language of the novel. What is the meaning behind the title of the chapters? Discuss the unique language in the novel. How is the language a reflection of the lifestyles and attitudes of the main characters?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the characters' hesitance with sharing their personal truths. How are the stories that Andy, Dag, and Claire tell one another only partly truthful? Why do these characters avoid sharing their personal stories with their closest friends? How do these characters grow in this regard as the novel progresses? By the end of the novel are these characters about to tell the whole truth, or do they continue to disguise the truth?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the genre of the novel, literary fiction. What are the elements of this genre? Why is this novel an example of this genre?

(see the answer keys)

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