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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. How much wheat does one farmer get from a 20-bushel acre?

2. What musical instrument does Billie Jo like?

3. What does Daddy say Mad Dog's real name is?

4. When did Ma start to teach Billie Jo how to play the piano?

5. Who has a reputation for cheating customers at his store?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Daddy do for work since the wheat crop is failing?

2. What is the significance of the snowfall in Autumn 1934?

3. How does the wandering boy symbolize all the people who want to escape the dust bowl and have a better life in California?

4. What happens when Daddy blows his nose or coughs after a dust storm?

5. What is Billie Jo looking forward to regarding the apples?

6. What is the irony of Ma not liking Billie Jo to play the piano?

7. Explain how people view Billie Jo now that her hands are injured.

8. What is Bille Jo's overall state of mind in Autumn 1934?

9. Explain Billie Jo's reference to red poppies.

10. What is the dust a metaphor for?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Louise and what is her role in the family? Is Billie Jo right to be cautiously optimistic about Louise's presence in her life? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Billie Jo becomes an outcast due to her hands being deformed after the fire. How does she manage through this stigma? How does she wish people would treat her? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

What is the point of view of the story? What are the benefits and the limitations to this particular point of view?

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This section contains 930 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample