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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. How does Chris explain Willie's injury to the police officer who stops them?

2. Who does the Boys' Club have a memorial service for?

3. What does Jim wear to gym class at the park to feel less self-conscious?

4. Who does Jim say is a die-hard Marxist?

5. Who does Jim see by surprise on the "most crowded corner in the Bronx"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Jim's body feel when he tries heroin for the first time?

2. Why does Jim call local trains lousy transit?

3. Why does Jim think the Thanksgiving fast is a bad idea?

4. Why does Jim call his abusive teacher "the fine Christian Brother"?

5. How do both teams win the summer league championship game?

6. Why does Pedro stay home from the basketball game?

7. Why is Jim banned for the year from the dorm at NYU?

8. What does Jim say is the worst part of his addiction?

9. What event makes Jim wonder where his life is heading?

10. Why does Jim say he never liked Bobo from the old Boys' Club bunch?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do adults positively influence the "characters" in the book? How do they negatively affect them?

Essay Topic 2

Why might basketball be the chosen sport for Jim? What factors make this a popular sport with boys in his community?

Essay Topic 3

Why does Jim want to return to public school? How is his Catholic school different than a public school? How is it similar?

(see the answer keys)

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