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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 did Cole navigate when he was in the Army?

2. How does Joe know Karen Garcia?

3. What does Karen ask Joe when she approaches his patrol car?

4. What does Chen's crime scene visitor point out to him at the crime scene?

5. What does Cole read while waiting for Krantz?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the scene when the police barge in on Pike and Cole in Karen's apartment.

2. Why is Pike nervous about entering Parker Center, and what happens once he does enter?

3. What does Cole discover in the letters in Karen's room?

4. Why does Lucy Chenier move to Los Angeles?

5. Why is Frank Garcia blaming the police for Karen's death?

6. How does Karen find out that Pike is in love with another woman?

7. What information does Jerry Swetaggen give Cole?

8. Why does Cole turn off Dolan's car?

9. What does Cole see on the television when he returns home from Karen's funeral?

10. How does Krantz react to Cole and Pike watching the investigation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A majority of the book takes place in Los Angeles. How does the author use the setting to develop the plot? How is the setting connected to events in the novel? How does the setting impact the characters' development? Use specific examples from the text in the response.

Essay Topic 2

The theme of motive runs throughout the book. Explain what motives are present in the story. How does each motive contribute to the story's development? Is one motive more important than another in the story? Are the motives valid or off-base? Explain the reasoning behind each motive and how each motive plays a role in the story.

Essay Topic 3

A requiem is a "mass for the dead." Using this information and the story itself, explain the meaning of the book's title, L.A. Requiem. How is the book's title significant to the plot? What can the reader deduce about the book from the title?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 826 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample