Nineteen Minutes

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

Multiple Choice

1. Which plot scenario represents Josie’s attempts to fit in with the popular crowd at school?

A) She shares her lunch with Peter on the first day of kindergarten.

B) She pretends that Peter is an idiot for sending the email.

C) She gets in trouble for fighting with Peter’s bullies.

D) She trips Drew during lunch.

2. Which descriptor best fits Lacy’s reaction to discovering that Peter is the shooter?

A) Shock

B) Outrage

C) Elation

D) Relief

3. Which of the following is the strongest example of Appearance Versus Reality in the book?

A) Patrick’s relationship with Alex

B) Josie’s relationship with Matt

C) Lacy’s relationship with Alex 

D) Peter’s relationship with Lewis

4. How is Lewis teaching Peter how to clean and handle a gun an example of foreshadowing?

A) Peter becomes better at handling guns and hunting than his older brother, Joey.

B) Peter develops a video game based on “Deer Hunt.”

C) Peter cannot stand the sight and smell of blood.

D) Peter uses the same guns to carry out a mass shooting later on.

5. What do the robes of Alex’s judge symbolize?

A) Power, authority, and the responsibility to be fair and impartial

B) The struggle between work and motherhood

C) Alex’s inability to remain unbiased in Peter’s trial

D) The importance of ambition and determination

6. Why is Peter breaking his cellmate’s glasses ironic?

A) Peter’s cellmate reminds him of Joey.

B) Peter’s cellmate provoked him.

C) Peter, too, wears glasses.

D) Matt bullied Peter by doing the exact same thing.

7. How does Josie’s feelings about Courtney change over time?

A) She initially worships Courtney because Courtney is popular; however, after the incident with Peter’s email, Josie breaks ties with Courtney.

B) She initially doesn’t like Courtney because Courtney is popular; however, when Josie begins to fit in with the “cool kids,” she spends time with Courtney and welcomes her friendship.

C) She initially likes Courtney because Courtney appears kind; however, after Josie witnesses Courtney bullying other kids, Josie keeps her distance.

D) She initially thinks Courtney is unkind and mean, and over time this dislike develops into indifference.

8. How does Peter respond to Patrick’s queries about the shooting?

A) Peter pretends he cannot remember what happened.

B) Peter asserts that the others instigated the conflict.

C) Peter denies that he was involved at all.

D) Peter hands himself in and brags about his actions.

9. Which of the following best describes Peter’s feelings towards Josie?

A) He feels disgusted by her, especially after she tries to fit in with the popular kids.

B) He hates her as much as he does Matt and Courtney.

C) He stops caring about her after they stop being friends.

D) He loves her despite everything they have gone through.

10. What is implied by Alex comforting Lacy after the first day of trial?

A) Alex feels bad for Lacy, especially since they used to be friends.

B) Alex wants to be the bigger person.

C) Alex knows that Josie is as guilty as Peter.

D) Alex is relieved she is not in Lacy’s position.

11. Which of the following is the strongest example of the theme of Bullying?

A) Peter tells Derek about his video game.

B) Matt kisses Josie after Peter’s presentation.

C) Dolores’s classmates drop tampons on her.

D) Peter shoots and kills his schoolmates.

12. What can be inferred by Josie flushing the stolen pills away after the shooting?

A) After witnessing so much death, Josie realizes she doesn’t want to die.

B) Josie doesn’t want Alex to know that she stole pills.

C) Josie wants to stay alive to exact her revenge upon Peter.

D) Josie doesn’t care anymore whether she lives or dies.

13. Which of the following is the biggest reason for the break in Lacy and Alex’s friendship?

A) Lacy feels uncomfortable around Alex’s friends.

B) Josie is constantly getting into fights with other children for defending Peter.

C) Alex finds Peter and Josie playing with Lewis’s guns.

D) Josie, too, begins to bully Peter.

14. How does Peter feel about Joey’s death?

A) He is guilty and blames himself.

B) He is angry that Joey died so young.

C) He is distraught because he lost his closest friend.

D) He is glad that Joey died because he was a bully.

15. Which of the following options presents the events in chronological order?

A) Alex convinces Josie to tell the truth, Patrick realizes there should be a second bullet, Josie confesses to shooting Matt

B) Alex convinces Josie to tell the truth, Josie confesses to shooting Matt, Patrick realizes there should be a second bullet

C) Patrick realizes there should be a second bullet, Alex convinces Josie to tell the truth, Josie confesses to shooting Matt

D) Patrick realizes there should be a second bullet, Josie confesses to shooting Matt, Alex convinces Josie to tell the truth

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. Peter and Josie’s relationship continuously changes. Consider their relationship from their childhood up until the shooting. What significant incidents occur between them? List any two and explain why they are important.

2. Just as Josie tries to fit in with the popular kids, Peter, too, makes similar attempts in his own way. Name two instances in which Peter tries and fails to fit in and explain why he is unsuccessful.