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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. For much of human history the largest group within a culture was the __________.

2. The digger wasp wants its children to know that they were ____________.

3. How can people relate to the worker bee?

4. "Water Boatmen" frequently repeats what word?

5. What else is reflected by what covers the pages of the poem?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does this mood in "The Digger Wasp" change? Why?

2. How does the poet use poetry to give the reader a sense of what cicadas sound like?

3. Why are these insects compared to rowers?

4. How is the artwork important, specifically to the whirligig beetle poem? Why?

5. Why might the digger wasp die before its young are born?

6. How do "Whirligig Beetles" and "Requiem" compare?

7. What are the moods of this poem? Why do they differ?

8. From whose perspective is "Honeybees?" Why?

9. What is a literary device used in "Water Boatmen?" Explain how it is used.

10. Compare the different types of honeybees.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The tone of this book changes from one poem to another.

Part 1) Which poems give off a sense of chaos and frenzy? Why? How does the poet give the poems this tone? What tools does the poet use to create very different poems from these chaotic poems?

Part 2) How has the poet chosen certain insects to have certain personalities and characteristics? Do these personalities reflect the actual creatures? If so, how? If not, why not?

Part 3) Do you believe the insects are truly as the poet describes? Why or why not? What is the poets reason for giving the insects these varying personalities, opinions, and characteristics?

Essay Topic 2

Some of the insects' actions are described.

Part 1) What poems focus on action? Whose action is the focus? Why is this the focus? What does this reveal about this insect?

Part 2) How do the other poems contrast these very active poems? Why does this contrast exist? What does this reveal about the insects?

Part 3) How is action connected to the mood of the poem? How important is the mood of the poem? Explain. Is the mood of a story important to every story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Famous authors' names are mentioned in "Book Lice."

Part 1) How do these famous authors' names get mentioned in this poem? Why might the poet have decided to include these famous authors in this poem? Does this enhance the poem in any way? Why or why not?

Part 2) What information might be helpful prior to reading this poem? Why? How might this information effect one's ability to understand "Book Lice" and the differences between these two different lice?

Part 3) How important is it to learn about famous authors and artists? Explain. Would the author of this book agree with you? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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