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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. By the time Josie and the narrator have reached their homes walking from the grocery store, what has transpired?

2. The narrator is ecstatic in his Biology II class because of what?

3. In Story 7, the narrator is what?

4. Where must the narrator and his friends rent prom clothes from?

5. What conflict does the narrator face between the girl next door and basketball?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator compare the prom to?

2. Why doesn't the narrator ask Daphne Bigelow to the prom?

3. How does the narrator's date with Josephine end?

4. When the narrator asks Daphne out on a date, and she agrees, what daydreams go through his mind?

5. After the prom, Schwartz and the narrator take their dates to the Rooster. What happens there?

6. How does the narrator ask Wanda Hickey to the prom?

7. Describe the narrator's experience as he waits for Josephine to finish getting ready for their date.

8. What are some of the items the narrator finds in the box of toys his mother sends him when he's an adult?

9. How does the narrator feel after looking through his box of childhood treasures?

10. What conflict exists for the narrator regarding the night of the party that he's invited to by Josephine?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After the narrator opens a box that he receives as an adult and peruses through the childhood treasures found inside, he decides to pack everything back up and hide it on the top shelf of a closet. Explain what this says about the author's viewpoint on stirring up the past.

Essay Topic 2

1. Explain how the author chooses to lead up to the Shepherd family's experiences at the County Fair.

2. Is this method of starting with a present event and then looking back across time an effective one? Why or why not?

3. Is this technique used in other stories in the book? If so, cite at least one more example and analyze its effectiveness.

Essay Topic 3

Although a quiet force who's often in the background, Mother is still a strong, powerful force in the book. Explain how Mother supports the narrator, Randy, and the Old Man, helping make their lives smoother even when it means making sacrifices on her part.

(see the answer keys)

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