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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. In Part Two: Chapter 2, how much would a new air compressor cost?

2. In what states did Jahren study hackberry trees in Part One: Chapter 8?

3. In Part One: Chapter 1, how many years did Jahren's father teach introductory physics and earth science?

4. In Part One: Chapter 4, how old was the author when she first performed an experiment because she needed the money?

5. In Part One: Chapter 1, when were Jahren's parents married?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part One: Chapter 1, what did the author's father do and for how long?

2. In Part Two: Chapter 6, what does Jahren say about vines?

3. In Part One: Part 4, what did Jahren say that working in a hospital taught her?

4. In Part Two: Chapter 4, how did Jahren describe a gorilla and his chamber?

5. In Part One: Chapter 10, what did the lab look like that Jahren had in Atlanta?

6. In Part Two: Chapter 2, how did Bill and Jahren design the lab?

7. In Part One: Part 4, how did Lydia act when Jahren told her that she was quitting the pharmacy?

8. In Part One: Chapter 1, why did the author's mother have to quit college?

9. In Part One: Chapter 6, when and how did Bill live in a hole?

10. In Part One: Chapter 8, what did Jahren say about becoming a scientist and being a scientist?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The book could be considered a coming of age story. In what way is the book a coming of age story? How did Jahren mature and come of age in the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Jahren used personification in the novel, especially when referring to plants. How did Jahren use personification when describing plants? How did the use of personification help readers identify with plants and eliminate any distance between the topic and readers?

Essay Topic 3

Jahren used analogies frequently to help readers understand concepts. Analyze how Jahren used analogies to explain the unfamiliar to readers. How did the analogies help readers understand difficult concepts?

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