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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. Why does the author think Santa Claus is unpopular in Africa?

2. Why did people in Soweto use the author as a landmark for giving directions when he was young?

3. What predominately Zulu political group violently opposed the African National Congress after the end of apartheid?

4. What was the only part of a person's home that could not be improved in Soweto?

5. What did the author do to get to know his father better after their reunion in Cape Town?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the author call his father "Robert" when he was a child?

2. Why did Patricia believe that a demon was in her house?

3. Why did Frances Noah refuse to beat the author whenever the author misbehaved growing up?

4. Why does Trevor Noah say that he was "born a crime" (26)?

5. How did the young Trevor Noah explain the comparative length of black church services compared to white church services?

6. How does the author describe the prevalence of traditional South African beliefs in the foreword to the story, "Trevor, Pray"?

7. According to the author, why are black people in South Africa suspicious of cats?

8. Why did Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah name her son "Trevor"?

9. What reasons does the author give for saying it was a "lie" (64) that the tribal homelands of South Africa were a place where native South Africans could be free?

10. What did the author realize about his racial identity after he started attending H. A. Jack Primary?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At many points in the collection "Born a Crime," Trevor Noah draws links between the racial politics of South Africa and America. Write an essay analyzing the similarities and differences that the author describes between the two countries and assess the author's purpose for drawing these comparisons.

Essay Topic 2

The collection "Born a Crime" portrays several moments in Trevor Noah's life where he participated in or witnessed interactions between people from different cultures. Write an essay analyzing one such moment. Explain how the author depicts and describes the difference in each culture's perspective and what insights he gleaned from the encounter.

Essay Topic 3

Many traumatic events transpire throughout the collection "Born a Crime," yet Trevor Noah maintains a comedic tone. Write an essay analyzing a comedic technique the author uses in the book and describe how the book's comedic tone relates to the author's philosophy towards life and suffering.

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