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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the Italian coach tell Ryan to do to practice his pronunciation in Chapter 7?
(a) Recite the words backwards.
(b) Take a break and let his brain soak in the sounds.
(c) Listen to recordings of the words.
(d) Sing the arias until he is hoarse.

2. Why does Valerie quit the Air Force?
(a) She asks for time off to spend with a sick child and they deny her the time.
(b) She wants to advance further than they will let her.
(c) Her new husband forces her to resign.
(d) She is not getting paid enough.

3. Why do opera singers sometimes eat bananas before performing or auditioning?
(a) They are good for soothing the throat.
(b) The potassium is supposed to keep shaking from nerves and adrenaline under control.
(c) They are known to make a voice louder.
(d) The nutritionist on staff recommends them.

4. How does Valerie's older brother die?
(a) He died of AIDS.
(b) He died in a robbery.
(c) He died of a heart attack.
(d) He died of cancer.

5. What does the conductor suggest that Ryan must do by the end of the day in Chapter 5?
(a) Get his sinuses professionally cleared out.
(b) Have a massage.
(c) Get a session with an Italian coach.
(d) Go for a run to clear his head.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Ryan handle the visits from his mother at the juvenile detention center?

2. Which Verdi opera does Ryan sing an aria from for his audition piece in the Met's young singers' competition?

3. What was Adrian very good at as a child?

4. What was one of the ways in which Adrian developed his talent as a child?

5. Which of the following was Dr. Joseph DeJarnette known for?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the pronunciation and vocal coach Carrie-Ann Matheson tell Ryan to do when he goes home that evening in Chapter 7 that will help him with his Italian pronunciation?

2. Why does Valerie, Ryan's mother, tell Bergner she passed up the opportunity to attend the Air Force Academy?

3. What is the incident that leads to Ryan's time in the juvenile detention center when he is 12 years old?

4. What does Valerie tell Bergner about the lowest point in her life that she thinks her two boys are unaware of?

5. What does Ryan remember his brother Adrian being really good at as a child, and why was the effect of Adrian's talent on their lives?

6. In Chapter 1, why is Banquo's aria from Verdi's opera Macbeth a meaningful audition piece for Ryan?

7. In Chapter 3, what problem does Camille Labarre have with Michelle's first dress that she chooses to perform in for the Met Competition?

8. Why does Valerie still seem bitter about the way Cecil proposed to her?

9. What important task does Camille LaBarre help Ryan with before the second round of the Met's competition in Chapter 3?

10. What is the main reason Ryan has asked people to call him "Speedo" at different points in his life?

(see the answer keys)

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