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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 does one get a rating in chess?

2. Why are the children given tranquilizers?

3. Where is the first chess tournament Beth ever take place in held?

4. As Beth packs, she searched frantically for the one item that mattered the most. What is that item?

5. What is the color of the tranquilizer pill?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do both Mr. Shaibel and Mr. Ganz think of Beth? Why?

2. How do the majority of the players react to Beth’s chess skills at her first tournament?

3. What are two things that Beth realizes she has figured out in the first chapter?

4. Why does Beth steal money from Mrs. Wheatley?

5. What is the punishment for cursing? How does Beth know that what Ralph shouts from the Boys’ Ward is probably a bad word?

6. What does Beth think and do when a nice couple with an accent comes in to adopt a child?

7. What is Beth’s punishment for attempting to stealing green pills?

8. How was Beth able to beat all of Mr. Ganz’s chess students?

9. Why does Beth attempt to steal pills from the pharmacy?

10. Where is Beth placed, initially, at her first chess tournament? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 12, Beth quickly spirals down into alcohol abuse. What leads to this? How is this foreshadowed? What are the repercussions of her actions? How does she save herself and her career from alcoholism? What does this say about her?

Essay Topic 2

Beth‘s determination regarding chess ebbs and flows throughout the book. What are two examples of when it ebbs and two examples when it flows? What events surround this increase or decrease in seriousness and competitiveness? How does this inconsistency affect Beth and her abilities at playing chess?

Essay Topic 3

Sexuality is introduced early on in the book. How does Beth learn about sex and sexual acts? What is her reaction to this? How is she affected by this? Why might the author have chosen to do this? How does it affect you as the reader?

(see the answer keys)

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