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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How did the author feel when he saw what Abel did to the ringleader from the incident under the mulberry tree?
(a) He did not care at all.
(b) He was horrified at Abel's ferocity.
(c) He was glad the boy could not hurt anyone else.
(d) He was scared because he knew Abel would beat him up next.

2. How did poverty make it harder for the author to dress attractively during grade 9?
(a) He had plenty of money but he did not want to make his poorer classmates jealous so he wore cheap clothes to make them feel better.
(b) His mother bought him extra-baggy clothing so he would not outgrow it too quickly.
(c) At the time, you needed to pay for a special license to wear nice clothes in South Africa.
(d) The school had special, unsightly uniforms for children who could not afford their own.

3. Why did Patricia make the author push her car?
(a) She wanted to help the author become strong.
(b) She wanted to maximize fuel.
(c) She was punishing the author.
(d) The car was broken.

4. What was the racial composition of Highlands North?
(a) Highlands North was cosmopolitan, with no single majority race.
(b) Highlands North was almost entirely white.
(c) Highlands North was almost entirely Indian.
(d) Highlands North was almost entirely black.

5. According to the author, what did crime do that the government would not do in Alexandra, South Africa?
(a) Crime confused the community.
(b) Crime scared the community.
(c) Crime cared for the community.
(d) Crime hurt the community.

6. How did the author behave when he realized he had a crush during grade 9?
(a) He kept it secret.
(b) He disavowed all forms of lust and went into monastic seclusion.
(c) He asked his mother for advice.
(d) He asked his crush out right away.

7. Why could the author not ask Maylene out right away for Valentine's Day?
(a) He wanted to ask in the form of a poem and had trouble rhyming with "Maylene."
(b) He had to learn how to speak her native tongue.
(c) He was afraid of her boyfriend.
(d) He had to relay the message through her friends first.

8. What did the police ask the author when he was called in for questioning regarding the stolen chocolate?
(a) They asked why he and Teddy stole the chocolates.
(b) They asked him to submit to a blood-alcohol test.
(c) They asked if he knew where Teddy had gone.
(d) They asked whether he knew if Teddy had any white friends.

9. What convinced the author that it would be best to bide his time before revealing his crush?
(a) His crush's friend, Johanna, told the author that Zaheera did not want to date him.
(b) The author assumed that his feelings would fade soon.
(c) His crush's boyfriend, Gary, said he should wait because Gary wanted to sabotage the author.
(d) Girls in American high school movies always fell for their best friends.

10. What were Model C Schools?
(a) Schools that mixed elements of Government and private ownership.
(b) Poorly funded government schools.
(c) Fancy private schools favored by white children.
(d) Remnants of the Bantu system.

11. How did Patricia react after the author explained what happened to him under the mulberry tree?
(a) She went out and beat up the boys who pelted him.
(b) She cried and held the author in her arms.
(c) She told him to go tell someone who cared.
(d) She laughed and said she was relieved it was not blood.

12. How did the security footage distort the author's appearance after he and Teddy stole from the store?
(a) It created dark circles under his eyes that made him look menacing.
(b) It made him look much fatter than he was in real life.
(c) It blurred out his face entirely.
(d) It made his skin appear to be lighter.

13. Which pop culture character did the author use as inspiration for putting together his outfit for the matric dance?
(a) Baron Samedi, from Live and Let Die.
(b) George Brady, from The Brady Bunch.
(c) Neo, from The Matrix.
(d) The Fonz, from Happy Days.

14. What was the author first saving money for when he started hustling?
(a) He was saving up money to move to America.
(b) He was saving up money to start his own business.
(c) He was saving up money to go to college.
(d) He was saving up money to buy a roach-infested flat.

15. For what crime was the author arrested?
(a) Driving a car without registration.
(b) Speeding.
(c) Murder.
(d) Making an illegal U-turn.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to the author, which culture do the "colored people" of modern South Africa have the strongest link to?

2. Who were the author's number one customers?

3. How did the author feel about pushing his mother's car?

4. How did the author first respond in his trial when he thought the judge asked him how he was?

5. What did the girls in the author's grade want him to do for Valentine's Day?

(see the answer keys)

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