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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. What did Obama's college boyfriend want to do after graduation?

2. What university did Obama work at?

3. What did one of Obama's distant cousins once ask her when they were talking?

4. What was the name of the space on Princeton campus designed to support people of color?

5. What classroom was Obama in at her elementary school?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened at Obama's first piano recital?

2. Who were Barack Obama's parents?

3. What was Michelle Obama's living situation growing up?

4. What did Obama's father say to her on the night of his death?

5. What was the good news and bad news that the Obamas came back to after their honeymoon?

6. What did Suzanne reveal to Obama when they were in their mid-twenties?

7. What did Obama's college boyfriend want to do after graduation, and what did he end up doing?

8. What did Obama's father do when she told him to stay home from work and rest?

9. What kept Barack from returning to Illinois to vote on a major crime bill?

10. What started happening to Obama's neighborhood when she was a child?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout her husband's presidential campaign and even throughout his eight-year-long presidency, Michelle Obama faced criticism on all fronts from the media and the public. How did Michelle contend with the constant pressure while in the public eye, and in what ways were her methods successful or unsuccessful?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the voice of Michelle Obama as a narrator. What is her tone, and what general effect do you think it has on readers? Be sure to use specific adjectives and examples from the text to analyze the nature of this voice.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay in which you analyze Obama's ideas about stories and personal narratives. Why does Obama think it is crucial for people to share their stories, even and especially when those stories might be different to the norm?

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