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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. Who took care of Seni for so long that she didn't recognize her own father?

2. What did Luis's mother buy him in the memory at the beginning of the book?

3. Everyone is released after the beach fight except for who?

4. Who takes up the challenge to fight at the beach?

5. Why was Luis's father angry in this memory at the beginning of the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the person who took up the challenge to fight with the whites at the beach?

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

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

4. What was Luis's family's neighborhood and house like in Los Angeles?

5. Why did Rano pick on his brother?

6. How does Luis describe his mother at the beginning of the book?

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

8. How does Luis's saxophone cause a rift between him and Joe?

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

10. Explain how Yuk-Yuk and Luis differ on their feelings about stealing and killing.

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

Compare and contract the relationship between Luis and his mother with the relationship he has with his father. Does he blame his father for his mother's hard life? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

What is the community's response to the escalation of gang violence, and how does it help or hurt Luis?

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