View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of job does Luis's father get in the flashback in the beginning of the book that prompts him to buy a better home and other things?

2. What instrument does Luis want to learn how to play when he is in high school?

3. What does Jandro have Luis and Rano steal?

4. In what country did Luis's family originally live?

5. How old was Luis in the memory he recalls at the beginning of the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. After they leave Seni's, how is Luis' new neighborhood described?

2. What kind of relationship does Seni and her husband have?

3. What do the people in "Thee Impersonations" desire?

4. Why is Luis known as "Chin?"

5. Why did Luis break his toys at Christmas?

6. What do Luis and Rano do with their money they earn?

7. What do Luis's early memories reveal about his feelings toward his father?

8. Who are "Thee Impersonations"?

9. How does Luis's problem with stealing and killing come to a head at the concession stand?

10. How does graffiti show a rift within the gang?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the story of the woman yelling at Luis's family at Will Rogers park play a role in Luis's decision to join a gang? What kinds of feelings did the woman prompt in Luis that stay with him throughout his life?

Essay Topic 2

Beyond a feeling of belonging, why is the pull of the gang for Luis so strong that even a woman's influence cannot change his mind?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the race problems at Luis's high school, including specific incidents from the book involving teachers and students. How do they affect Luis? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 607 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample