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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. When Sarah first gets into Teddy's car, what does she do?

2. When Tansey tells Sarah that she is a "diamond pulled from a coal bucket," what is he implying about her family?

3. What technique is used in the sentence, "Slender reeds brush against one another as cleanly as freshly whetted blades" (13)?

4. How old is Martina when the story opens?

5. Jimmy calls Marlene's mother "pragmatic" (4) How does she demonstrate this quality?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to Bat at Monroe's takeaway?

2. What happens on the final Saturday of the story "The Moon"?

3. What in Tug's interaction with the children at the bridge demonstrates the softer side of his nature?

4. What happens on the club's balcony, and what does it suggest about Val?

5. Who is Martina's college boyfriend, and why is she thinking about ending the relationship?

6. How did Matteen and Sarah first get together, and how did their relationship end?

7. Describe the club that is the setting for the first part of "The Moon."

8. How does Teddy end up in Bleak Woods, and what happens to him, there?

9. Describe the main character of "Stand Your Skin."

10. Why do Val and Martina keep their relationship a secret?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The first five pieces in the anthology center on characters who have chosen to stay in Glanbeigh. The Last two focus on characters who have chosen to leave, but who end up coming home, at least temporarily, when they run into trouble in the wider world. Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the thematic idea being advanced by this structure. Use evidence from at least two stories in the first section of the book and evidence from both of the stories in the latter section as you defend your claim.

Essay Topic 2

What is the real fascination that Tug has with the missing Clancy child? Write an essay in which you make and defend a claim about the symbolic significance of this missing child. Use textual evidence to defend your ideas.

Essay Topic 3

The Mule River appears in several of the stories in Young Skins. Write an essay that makes and defends a claim about the symbolic significance of the river as a setting in the anthology, using textual evidence from at least four stories to support your ideas.

(see the answer keys)

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