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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. According to the author, which culture do the "colored people" of modern South Africa have the strongest link to?

2. To what does the author compare Patricia when he describes her skill for maximizing petrol?

3. What kind of persona did the author project while he was in jail?

4. How does the author describe his dating life when he was in grade 9 at Sandingham?

5. How did the author feel about pushing his mother's car?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author explain Patricia's ability to buy a house in Highlands North?

2. Why did Patricia encourage the author to hang out with his cousin at the university?

3. What was the purpose of the event where the author and his crew got in trouble for chanting Hitler's name?

4. Why did the author think it made sense for Mayelene to leave him and date Lorenzo instead?

5. Why did the girls in the author's grade at H. A. Jack Primary think that he and Maylene would be perfect for each other?

6. What difference does the author see between German education around the Holocaust and South African education around apartheid?

7. Why was the author late to the dance?

8. How was the author able to pose as an American rapper for the talent show in Hammanskraal?

9. What did the author realize when Abel beat up the ringleader from the incident under the mulberry tree?

10. How did Patricia respond when the author tried to tell Abel what happened under the mulberry tree?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In several passages within the collection "Born a Crime," Trevor Noah describes the colonial history of South Africa. Write an essay analyzing the role that South Africa's colonial history played in creating the social and economic conditions of the author's childhood, and how these conditions ultimately shaped his identity.

Essay Topic 2

Many traumatic events transpire throughout the collection "Born a Crime," yet Trevor Noah maintains a comedic tone. Write an essay analyzing a comedic technique the author uses in the book and describe how the book's comedic tone relates to the author's philosophy towards life and suffering.

Essay Topic 3

At many points in the collection "Born a Crime," Trevor Noah draws links between the racial politics of South Africa and America. Write an essay analyzing the similarities and differences that the author describes between the two countries and assess the author's purpose for drawing these comparisons.

(see the answer keys)

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