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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 acronym HVD carries which of the following meanings in the memoir?

2. The comment, “Others flashed a single-fingered salute” (403) offers an example of which of the following?

3. How far underwater is the Deepwater Horizon well drilled?

4. The comment, “Your political enemies, smelling blood in the water, go after you harder” (519) offers an example of which of the following?

5. The comment that Merkel “was now eyeing Sarkozy the way a mother eyes an unruly child” (343) offers an example of which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. What ideas does Obama note concerning war in preparing his Nobel acceptance speech?

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

3. To what does the term “dignified transfer” refer in the memoir?

4. How does Obama explain the increasing number of regulatory agencies and delegation of authority to them by Congress?

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

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

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

8. When presented with notes about gender discrimination within his White House, what steps does Obama take to address the matter?

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

10. What reasons does Obama give for approving of some of his predecessor’s counterterrorism initiatives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the memoir, Obama frequently compares himself to FDR. What function does the comparison serve in the memoir? How does it serve it?

Essay Topic 2

As Obama writes, he makes repeated references to the Hawaiian coast. What function does the repeated reference serve? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 3

Select one of the section titles: The Bet, Yes We Can, Renegade, The Good Fight, The World as It Is, In the Barrel, or On the High Wire. To what does the title make reference? How does it appear in the relevant section? What comment is suggested about it in that section? How is it suggested?

(see the answer keys)

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