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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. What do students whose parents cannot come for parents' weekend do?

2. What is Cedric's first class second semester?

3. Why does Sherene tell Cedric Gilliam to get out of her apartment?

4. Who is the teacher of the class Cedric observes?

5. How much money does Barbara owe in back rent when Cedric comes home for the summer?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do Zayd Dohrn's parents do in the 1960s?

2. How do Cedric and Rob come to an agreement about music in their dorm room?

3. How will things change for Cedric second semester?

4. Why is Cedric considering changing Psychology to pass/fail and dropping Discrete Math?

5. Why are Rob and Cedric getting along better in February?

6. What causes Cedric to go talk to Rachel Edy, a peer counselor?

7. Why does Cedric decide to take five classes second semester?

8. How is Barbara doing in February?

9. How does affirmative action help and hinder minority students when they want to attend college?

10. Why does Cedric write a poem instead of a paper for Wakefield's class?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 1, Mr. Taylor compares the challenges in Cedric's life to "a race, a long race?" Explain why Mr. Taylor uses the metaphor of a race. Why does Cedric's mother also use the image of a race to describe the challenges Cedric faces? How do the challenges that Cedric experiences compare to a race?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 1, examples are given that show how honor students are treated at Ballou High School. Explain why most students are not interested in academic success at Ballou.

Essay Topic 3

Explain why some minority students can compete on an equal basis with white students and do not need affirmative action to get into college. Provide examples of students in the book who fall into this category.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 977 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample