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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. Where does Neftali want to bury the swan?

2. In "River," what instrument does a Mapuche boy play?

3. In "Ocean," where does Neftali go after he and Laurita get out of the ocean?

4. Besides swans, what birds can Neftali hear in "Lagoon"?

5. How many times has Rodolfo been to the ocean in "River"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What will Uncle Orlando do after his newspaper office burns?

2. How does the family seem different to Neftali as they walk to the beach in "Ocean"?

3. In "Love," why does Blanca start giving Naftali quinces?

4. In "Fire," what does Neftali decide to do when he has a poem that is scheduled to appear in Claridad and in a Santiago newspaper?

5. What type of jobs does Neftali do for his uncle when he works at the newspaper office?

6. Why is Laurita not allowed to go with Neftali one day, and what happens in "Lagoon"?

7. What does Neftali see when he looks at his uncle after the fire at the newspaper office?

8. How will the family travel to the ocean?

9. How does Neftali get permission to work at Uncle Orlando's newspaper office?

10. In "Fire," what is the first thing that Neftali shows Laurita in the school yard?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Father calls Neftali absentminded in “Mud.” Why does Father call Neftali absentminded? What does Neftali think it means to be absentminded? Why is Neftali confused when his father calls him absentminded?

Essay Topic 2

Onomatopoeia is a literary device that imitates sounds. How does the author use onomatopoeia in the book? Do the sounds reflect what characters are observing, feeling, or thinking better than simply saying how they feel?

Essay Topic 3

Neftali does not have any friends. What type of friend does Neftali dream of having? How do a toy sheep and a pair of swans become Neftali’s friends and companions? How do they fulfill his need for friendship and companionship?

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