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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. Lia has 27 emails from someone and deletes them without looking at them. Who is she ignoring?

2. With whom does Ayinde go for a photo shoot?

3. In the second chapter, it says that Ayinde has not had a close friend since when?

4. What does the news station offer Ayinde?

5. Which of the friends wanted to have twins?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some things that have shaped the way Kelly is today?

2. Jennifer Weiner paints a picture of motherhood in the opening scene of "August Becky." How is this picture humorous?

3. What constitutes Lia's inability to come to grips with her baby's death?

4. We learn Kelly wanted a normal childhood in May Kelly. What does Kelly consider a normal childhood?

5. Why is Becky not happy with her mother-in-law moving to Philadelphia?

6. Ayinde always claims to want to stay at home with Julian. How does she interpret the failed job interview to justify this desire?

7. What is the symbolism of Lia tucking her hair under the baseball cap as she heads for the Parents Together Grief group?

8. Becky always seems to worry about her weight. How is this self-consciousness shown in the chapter "June Becky"?

9. What are some reasons Becky refuses or does not want to speak to Mimi, her mother-in-law?

10. Why does the director tell Ayinde that no one will tune in to watch her read the news?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There were many themes throughout the story. Choose one of them and describe how it develops throughout.

Essay Topic 2

Ayinde's life changes dramatically when she has her baby. One of the main ways it dramatically changes her life is it forces her to quit her career because of her husband's celebrity status. How does Ayinde's sense of self change after her marriage and the baby? Do you think Ayinde makes choices for her and her baby that she would have not made if she was still working? Why / why not? How is Ayinde's relationship with her husband and baby affected by her decision not to further pursue her career at this time?

Essay Topic 3

Three of the main characters all take a different approach to raising their children. Kelly takes the professional route and keeps track of everything on spreadsheets, Ayinde follows the book Baby Success, and Becky has a laid back approach. How do these particular strategies work out for them? If an approach does not seem to work out for them, what other approach do you think they should try and why? Does any one approach seem to work better than the others?

(see the answer keys)

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