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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. The comment, “On the biggest of stages, on an issue that mattered and with the clock ticking, I’d pulled a rabbit out of a hat” (515) offers an example of which of the following?

2. How many people does Obama report Nidal Hasan kills?

3. How many Senators vote to ratify Obama’s nuclear arms reduction treaty?

4. Which of the following nicknames does Obama note John Brennan receives?

5. On what day does Obama receive word that he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

Short Essay Questions

1. What “hard truths” does Obama note hoping to address in the “Muslim speech” (358-59)?

2. What does Obama note are reasons he could expect some success in the midterm elections?

3. What recurring dream does Obama note having during his second year in office?

4. What does Obama note are the effects of the Spanish flu on the world?

5. What does Obama note are historical reasons midterm elections go poorly for the party in power?

6. What reasons does Obama give for pressing strongly on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament?

7. What justification does Obama offer for sightseeing on foreign diplomatic visits?

8. What effects does Obama note the stresses of his second year in office have on his senior staffers?

9. To what does the “cap-and-trade” system of greenhouse gas reduction refer?

10. What does Obama note wanting to say about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill when asked about it in May 2010?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Obama remarks several times through the memoir about playing cards, particularly Spades. What functions do the remarks serve, and how do the remarks serve those functions?

Essay Topic 2

Many sources attest to the presence of A Promised Land on the New York Times best-seller list. Assuming that sales figures reflect popularity, what accounts for the popularity of the memoir? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 3

What is to be made of Obama’s frequent reports of consulting with the women in his life, particularly Michelle? What in the text suggests as much? How does it do so?

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