View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How much money does Henry have to his name at the time he purchases his horse?

2. Who does Snopes say has Henry's wife money, which is why he cannot return it to her?

3. Where does Henry's wife confront Snopes about the money she is owed from the horse auction?

4. What does Hipps use to restrain the wild horses while he is transporting them to the auction?

5. Who swears that they saw Flem Snopes return the Armstid money to Hipps before he skipped town?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Eck's expectations when he enters the court on the day of his trial?

2. How does Hipps treat the wild horses that he brings in from Texas to sell in Mississippi?

3. In addition to the case brought up against Snopes, what other charges were pressed in the Mississippi town after the wild horse stampede?

4. What happens when the boat overturns that the tall and fat convicts are paddling down the river?

5. What happens when Eck's horse comes into contact with the Littlejohn house?

6. How does Snopes treat Mrs. Armstid in court when she brings up a case against him?

7. Where is the refugee woman's baby born?

8. How many of the wild horses escape from the corral at the end of the auction, and what is the farmer's reaction to this number?

9. How does the story of "The Old Man" open?

10. Why is Tull outraged with the decision about his case in the courtroom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the strongest themes in the story "The Old Man" is the theme of fear, particularly the fears of the tall convict. First, create a list of fears that the tall prisoner has. Then, choose one of those fears and explain how the fear affects the relationships he forms in his life. Finally, explain whether or not the convict conquers this fear in the story and how he does so. If he doesn't conquer this fear, explain how the convict lets the fear overtake his life. Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you believe help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

The moral of the story of "The Bear" has much to do with race relations in the South. First, describe the way that Ike learns his family history of race relations in the South. What is his reaction to this personal history? Then, explain how the bear, Old Ben, is used a symbol to represent race relations in the South. Do you think the bear is an appropriate symbol for this theme? Why or why not? As a reader, how does the symbol of the bear give you a better, deeper understanding of race relations in the South? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text that you think help strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 3

When Hipps comes to town with the spotted horses in the story of the same name, the one heckler he meets in the crowd in a man called Ratcliff. First, describe Ratcliff's character. What motivation does Ratcliff have to heckle Hipps when he comes to town? Then, describe what has happened in Ratcliff's history that made the Texan people not take his critique of Hipps seriously. Do you think the townsfolk should have listened to Ratcliff? Why or why not? Be sure to include at least two examples from the text to strengthen your argument.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,370 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample