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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 does the person who made the sketch want Simon to do with it?

2. Why does Jared instruct his siblings to take such an action?

3. What does Jared point out about the faeries and the book?

4. What surprises the first speaker?

5. What color of skin do two of the creatures have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Simon say to Jared about the guide?

2. What is Jared's response to the elves ravings and how does Lorengorm answer Jared?

3. How does Helen react to Jared and Mallory fighting in Lucinda's room and what happens to Lucinda?

4. Why is Jared nervous, what does he ask the three and what is their response?

5. What do the children do when they return from the barn?

6. What does Mallory say to Jared when they arrive home and how does he respond?

7. What is Mallory's question about the bargain and what does Jared say to them?

8. What does Lorengorm say to them?

9. What does the unicorn show the children and how do they react to the vision?

10. What happens with the children when they walk up the hill?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mallory is having trouble coping with the realization that their home and the family's safety is unpredictable and precarious. The uncertainty of life alarms her.

1. Why do you think Mallory is alarmed at the uncertainty of life? Use examples from Lucinda's Secret and your own life to support your answer.

2. Have you ever felt that life was scary because it was uncertain? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life to support your answer.

3. What are some of the things you think are absolutely certain about life and what are some that you think are completely uncertain?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the following:

1. Trace and analyze one major theme of Lucinda's Secret. Consider the following: How does one character's actions portray the theme you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to that theme? Is the theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

2. Trace and analyze two secondary themes of Lucinda's Secret. How does one character's actions portray the themes you are analyzing? How does the setting contribute to those themes? Is each theme one that you would call a "universal theme"? If so, what other book or novel that you have read also includes this theme. If not, why don't you think it is a "universal" theme?

3. What benefit is there in discussing and analyzing the themes of a work of fiction? Do you think most authors consciously develop themes in their works? Why or why not? Can there be accidental themes? What do you think is one possible "accidental" theme in Lucinda's Secret? Which theme in Lucinda's Secret speaks to you the most in your life? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Whenever reading a science fiction or fantasy novel, one must become familiar with new terminology that explains concepts or technology that is not a part of the "real" world. In the case of Lucinda's Secret, much of the setting is familiar to the reader, though there are new ideas and terms to learn. Discuss the following:

1. Find five terms that are a part of Lucinda's Secret's world that occur in the "real" world but are used differently in Lucinda's Secret's world. Define the words as used in in Lucinda's Secret's world and compare those five words as to how they are currently used in the American English language.

2. There are ways of learning about a new world or time when reading a science fiction or fantasy novel. Discuss the ways you were able to understand the world of Lucinda's Secret. Did you have to look up any words? What does it mean to learn a word through its context? Do you have to do that in Lucinda's Secret? What word(s)?

3. Were there any words you never really understood from Lucinda's Secret? Which ones?

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