95 pages 3 hours read

John Knowles

A Separate Peace

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1959

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Exam Questions

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. In his description of the Devon School, Gene notes, “I felt fear’s echo, and along with that I felt the unhinged, uncontrollable joy which had been its accompaniment and opposite face, joy which had broken out sometimes in those days like Northern Lights across black sky.” Which of the following literary terms does the narrator use in this quote?

A) Personification

B) Paradox

C) Palindrome

D) Pathos

2. Which of the following best describes how Finny feels about authority?

A) It is nonsensical.

B) It is unimpressive.

C) It is a nuisance.

D) It is useless.

3. Which of the following does Gene believe influences the temperament of the instructors at the Devon School?

A) The time of day

B) The season of the year

C) The sound of the nearby church

D) The progress of the war effort

4. Which of the following best describes Finny’s personality?

A) Timid and meek

B) Arrogant and pejorative

C) Flexible and charming

D) Self-centered and self-righteous

5. Which of the following aphorisms best describes Finny’s philosophy of sports?

A) Everyone is a winner.

B) Second place is the first loser.

C) Hard work makes the team work.

D) There’s no “I” in “team.”

6. Which looming event serves to differentiate the school’s treatment of underclassmen from its treatment of the seniors?

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By John Knowles

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