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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 Aunt Netta used to make and serve after church services?

2. When was the last confirmed sighting of a dodo?

3. When is Antoinette Robinson's funeral?

4. What sport does Dre play?

5. In "Extinct," what dinosaur does Dylan picture in his mind when he wakes?

Short Essay Questions

1. How should jeans be ironed in "First-Day Fly"?

2. What do the Trilarkians look like?

3. What message do Jamal and Dre hear after they figure out how to open the gold door?

4. What are some of the space beings Rod sees before the race on Trilark?

5. What happens in the school cafeteria on Fridays?

6. What is the Turner Middle School Baking Competition?

7. What cars are in the driveway when Cornell gets home, and what information do they provide him?

8. Who was Antoinette Robinson?

9. Why does Mbalia dislike watching the news?

10. When was the term "Black Boy Joy" (2) coined and what does it mean to Mbalia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

An analogy is the comparison of an unfamiliar object or idea to a familiar one in an attempt to explain the unfamiliar or to help readers understand characters, events, or concepts. What are some analogies Randall uses in “But Also, Jazz? How do these analogies help readers comprehend characters, events or concepts?

Essay Topic 2

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How are idioms used in in stories in Black Boy Joy to help characters communicate? How do idioms help create word pictures and mental images for readers in a concise manner? How do idioms help readers understand characters, emotions, and ideas?

Essay Topic 3

Slang is an informal way of speaking. How do characters use slang in the stories in Black Boy Joy? What does the use of slang reveal about the characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 820 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample