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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 is in the package Soula gives Addie to open at home?

2. What does Addie decide when she wakes for school after Thanksgiving?

3. What does Denise say to Addie as Addie is bringing in the third load of laundry?

4. What was Denise unwilling to do in the past concerning Addie?

5. What does Addie tell her mother about the flute?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Addie's Christmas with her mother.

2. Describe the conversation between Addie and Ms. Rivera.

3. How does Addie "check out" Hannah?

4. What does Dwight do when he meets Addie after school on Valentine's Day?

5. How does Addie react when she finds Hannah making breakfast the next morning?

6. What does Grandio give Addie and how does she react?

7. What does Dwight tell Addie that Addie has mixed feelings about the news?

8. Why does Addie back out of playing at the concert?

9. What does Denise say about Addie visiting Grandio and Dwight's family over Thanksgiving?

10. What do Soula and Elliot give Addie for Christmas and what is Addie's response?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why?

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why?

3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot?

4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not?

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What is a plot? What are the most important elements of a plot and their definition? Do all novels have a plot? Why or why not?

2. Write a brief synopsis of the plot of "Waiting for Normal", identifying where the various elements of the plot occur (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution or denouement). Do you find it difficult to identify the plot? Why or why not? What about the various elements of the plot?

3. Identify the major sub-plots and their elements in "Waiting for Normal". (The subplots may not contain every element of a major plot). Do the sub-plots add to the main plot? Why or why not. Are the sub-plots interesting in and of themselves? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Waiting for Normal belongs to the young teen novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the young teen novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a young teen novel and a mystery?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,189 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample