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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 happened to Patricia when the family went to Big Bear one year?

2. Since January, how many trees have been killed by the drought in California?

3. When the family evacuates, how long does it take to find Velcro?

4. What percent chance does Claudia have of coming out of the surgery to remove her tumor alive?

5. When Claudia's Malibu house is sold, what percent of the proceeds will she keep?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gabriel become unreasonable when Claudia is in the hospital?

2. How does Keila feel when Oscar finally tells her about the orchard?

3. Why is everyone happy with the arrangement for Patricia to live with her parents?

4. What happens when the Alvarados are told to evacuate?

5. What does Oscar say about L.A. weather to Claudia on June 3?

6. What happened after Claudia collapsed?

7. In August, what is Lucas's concern about the orchard and what does he suggest?

8. How are the trees removed from the almond orchard?

9. What group has Keila belonged to for 33 years, and what role has it played in her life?

10. What do Olivia and Patricia discover when they go to get pajamas, clothes, and makeup for Claudia on May 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 2

Cliffhangers are a literary device that leaves readers wondering what will happen next. How does the author use cliffhangers in L.A. Weather? How do cliffhangers create suspense?

Essay Topic 3

Colors are sometimes associated with mood. If you could assign a color to represent the mood L.A. Weather, what color would it be? Why? Would you choose different colors to describe the mood in different sections?

(see the answer keys)

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