|Name: _________________________||Period: ___________________|
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. What do Colin and Lindsey drink when Lindsey shows him the secret?
2. What is there a place in the brain for knowing?
3. What are the persons doing in the graveyard?
4. Why does Hassan say he is not going to work?
5. Why is Hollis burying the string?
Short Essay Questions
1. What does Hassan tell Colin he shared with Lindsey?
2. Describe the incident that Hassan and Colin have with the feral pig.
3. How does Hollis explain Roy's actions with the bulldozer?
4. What does Colin continue to work on and how is it going?
5. How do Colin and Hassan get separated from the others?
6. Who are the boys supposed to interview the day after the fight?
7. What is Hollis' long-plan for keeping the factory going and the town in operation?
8. What do Colin and Hassan do first thing the morning after the fight and what does Lindsey say about the fight?
9. What does Lindsey say she thinks she can fix for Colin?
10. What will happen between Colin and Lindsey according to Colin's theorem?
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:
1. Fully explain why you think "An Abundance of Katherines" is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?
2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.
3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.
4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished, you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?
Essay Topic 2
Hassan is a symbol of what is normal conversation for the average person, so that Colin knows what is appropriate to talk about and what makes people look at him as if there is something wrong with him. Colin relates his inability to see what the future holds with his nearsightedness. While Colin is only 17, he believes that he is past the prime in his life because most prodigies peak at 12 or 13. This thought process reinforces that Colin does not see what is in front of him, the life out there he has left to experience, because he is so focused on his lack of living up to being a prodigy.
1. Do you think it is possible to learn how to talk to people from observing a friend? Why or why not? Use examples from your own life and "An Abundance of Katherines" to support your answer.
2. Discuss the symbolism of Colin's nearsightedness and him not being able to see not only the future but what is normal behavior in a group of his peers. Use examples from your own life and "An Abundance of Katherines" to support your answer.
3. How might not being able to live up to an example, whether it is being a prodigy, or to any older brother or sister or parents' expectations can affect a person emotionally. Use examples from your own life and "An Abundance of Katherines" to support your answer.
Essay Topic 3
Discuss the following:
1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.
2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why? Use examples from the story and your own life to support your answer.
3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot? Use examples from "An Abundance of Katherines" and your own life to support your answer.
4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not? Use examples from "An Abundance of Katherines" and your own life to support your answer.
5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.
This section contains 1,072 words
(approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page)