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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 nationality are the group of people Billy stops on the side of the road to help in Chapter 1?

2. What does Eduardo refer to Magdalena as when Billy meets him for the first time?

3. What do the men from Mac's ranch do to try and beat their rival at the horse auction?

4. Which of the following men does not go on the dog hunt in Chapter 2?

5. What is the relationship between Mr. Johnson and Mac?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is John Grady's attempts at taming a wild horse at the beginning of the book described?

2. What does John Grady do with the blind man and his daughter at the Moderno in Chapter 2?

3. How is the cowboy's rivalry with a man called Wolfenbarger described in the book?

4. How is John Grady and Mac's game of chess described in Chapter 1?

5. What is John Grady's first impression of a young Mexican girl he sees at the beginning of the book?

6. What happens when John Grady goes to a hotel at the beginning of Chapter 2?

7. What happens to Magdalena after she spends her first night with John Grady?

8. What is the nature of the message Magdalena sends to John Grady through a waiter?

9. What is Billy's reaction when John Grady tells him the girl he likes lives at the White Lake whore house?

10. How does John Grady react when a man offers him work after helping him identify a lame horse?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the author's use of tragedy throughout the book, namely regarding the characters Billy and John Grady. What lessons are these characters able to learn due to their experiences with tragedy and what can we learn about their nature based on the way they handle these tragedies?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the author's portrayal of the nature of cowboy life in the book. What details and elements did the author use to accurately portray the lives of cowboys, and did he create a believable portrayal?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the concept of work ethic that is presented in the book. What can we learn about the nature of John Grady's character based on his incredible work ethic, both positively and negatively? How might his work ethic have played a role in his eventual demise?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 740 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample