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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 Virgil do with the item he found in the lot?

2. What does Amir find himself doing with Royce and another?

3. What does the sign Curtis creates say?

4. What does the garden remind Amir of?

5. What does Royce do in exchange for food?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the point of the program for teen mothers?

2. Explain why Virgil becomes angry and ashamed at his father.

3. What does Virgil find in the ground, and what does he eventually use it for?

4. What is Nora’s relationship with Mr. Myles?

5. Why does Nora want to tell the tourists of the garden?

6. How does Leona help Maricela see things differently?

7. How does Amir compare the U.S. to India?

8. Explain why Curtis and Lateesha originally broke up.

9. What is Curtis’ reaction to his tomato plants?

10. Why does everyone in the garden want to help the girls in the chapter “Maricela”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kim and Curtis both use the garden to prove something. Discuss these characters in detail, and explain what the garden is helping them to prove, either to themselves, or to others, living or deceased. What are these characters able to show through their gardening? How are they able to connect to their loved ones?

Essay Topic 2

Gonzalo learns a valuable lesson in the novel as he witnesses his father being less than perfect. This moment has a profound impact on him in the book, as his emotions follow the realization. Explain how Gonzalo’s processing of his father’s imperfections leads him to an understanding about his father. What did Gonzalo learn?

Essay Topic 3

How does the author use the characters to intertwine with one another? Going back through the novel, can you see links in each story to other characters? Give at least four examples of this. Why do you think the character added some of these connected details?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 787 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample