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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. Why doesn't Gabriel want Emi to open the package from Rafaela?

2. How does the man in the black Jaguar end up being able to capture Rafaela?

3. How does Gabriel tell Bobby about the assault on Rafaela?

4. In Chapter 25, why doesn't Gabriel go to Mexico when Rafaela calls him?

5. Where does Rafaela go after leaving Gabriel's house in Chapter 24?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't Rafaela tell Gabriel about the people harvesting human organs in Chapter 24?

2. How do Gabriel and Emi's attitudes toward the news differ in Chapters 26 and 27?

3. What do Buzzworm and Emi do before Emi dies?

4. What does Bobby think is strange as he drives north with Xiayue into Los Angeles?

5. What happens when Gabriel calls Emi in Chapter 29?

6. How does Arcangel bond with Rodriguez in Chapter 23?

7. How does Gabriel feel about the use of technology in his news reporting?

8. What is "What's the Buzz?"

9. What happens when Rafaela calls Gabriel after mailing him the cooler from Dona Maria's?

10. What happens when Arcangel gives up moving the bus in Chapter 36?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the use of creating a novel out of many smaller stories that are interconnected briefly through the relationships between the characters. Is this useful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What is the role of the news vs. entertainment in society in "Tropic of Orange"? How does the author turn this into a major theme? What does she suggest about the news?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the symbolism of one of the following: the trees, the nearly invisible line, the cooler, the Hollywood sign. What does the physical item represent about the characters in this novel? What does the physical item reveal about the major themes?

(see the answer keys)

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