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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What object does Frank see sticking out of Danny's Uncle Warren's pocket?
(a) Ariel's necklace.
(b) Bobby Cole's eyeglasses.
(c) Skipper's photograph.
(d) Jake's rollerskate key.

2. Why do Frank and Jake walk home from the jail instead of riding in their father's car?
(a) Jake wants to go break out Morris' headlights before returning home.
(b) Gus throws up in their father's backseat.
(c) Their father does not tell them why they have to walk home.
(d) Frank wants to try peeping at their next door neighbor before returning home.

3. Where do Nathan and Gus finally find Travis Klement once they locate him?
(a) At the fire station.
(b) In the church basement.
(c) In the attic of his own house.
(d) At a bar in Mankato.

4. What is the name that some people in town call Jake and that Frank calls him as well when he is angry?
(a) Mister Greenjeans.
(b) Howdy Doody.
(c) Lash LaRue.
(d) Charlie McCarthy.

5. Why is the new Bremen bank a source of fascination for Frank?
(a) Because it had been robbed by Pretty Boy Floyd in the 1930s.
(b) Because he wants to be a banker when he grows up.
(c) Because it had been robbed the year before and the crime had never been solved.
(d) Because he has a crush on the bank teller.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Ruth gets angry at Julia's words, what physical attribute does Ruth mention in order to insult Julia?

2. Whose vehicle do the boys see parked at the quarry when they arrive there?

3. Why are Frank and Jake forced to squeeze in next to Karl when he takes them for a ride in his Triumph sports car?

4. Though there is little furniture in Lise and Emil's home, what object is a prominent feature in every room?

5. What method does Emil use to attempt suicide?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the outcome of Nathan's and Gus' search for Travis Klement, the man they know to have beaten his wife and son?

2. When Frank and Jake come upon the Indian man and the apparently lifeless man referred to as Skipper, the Indian man says, "Know what I like about railroad tracks? They're always there but they're always moving" (32). When Jake replies, "Just like a river" (32), why is Frank shocked at Jake's reply?

3. What is the situation that results in Frank, Jake, and Nathan going to the jail in the middle of the night?

4. How does the scene at the old rock quarry reveal themes of adolescent sexuality through Frank's character?

5. Why is Frank so surprised when Officer Doyle asks him his opinion about this year's Minnesota Twins team and asks about his own experiences with baseball?

6. How does Axel's request of Jake at the hospital reveal differences between Frank and Jake?

7. How does Gus' monologue about killing a man relate to the novel's title?

8. What are the reasons Officer Doyle gives for finding Bobby Cole's death suspicious?

9. What are the purposes of the Drum family's visit to Emil and Lise Brandt's house?

10. How does Frank feel about his older sister Ariel?

(see the answer keys)

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