View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Richard whisper for Ayinde in the darkness in their bedroom?

2. Which of the friends wanted to have twins?

3. What was Lia's name as a child?

4. What problems did Ayinde's mother have?

5. What does Lia give Becky while she is walking with Ava trying to calm her?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. In "August Becky," what breakthroughs does Lia make with the loss of her son?

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

5. "April Lia" opens with Lia sitting on a park bench wanting to be invisible. Why does Lia want to be invisible?

6. Why is Becky so devastated that the doctor wants to perform a c-section?

7. Why does Kelly panic when she finds out that Steve wants to become a teacher?

8. When Lia tells her mother that "Something happened" her mother assures her that she cares. Lia awaits a sign that her mother cares. How does her mother show her that she cares?

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

10. Kelly jokes, "It takes a village to feed my child." What does this mean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters in the story have experienced a loss. Choose one loss. Tell about this loss and how it affected the character.

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

In the midst of personal troubles, Becky's friends have difficulty finding ways that their lives are blessed and how they are fortunate. In particular, Kelly tends to be scornful when people call her lucky. But, towards the end of the story, she starts to realize how blessed and fortunate she is. How does motherhood tend to put things into perspective for Becky? What does Becky learn from her friends?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 804 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample