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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. Who warns John Grady to not spend much time with Mr. Johnson in Chapter 2?

2. What war does the old man of the ranch discuss with John Grady during their first conversation?

3. Who did Billy's brother get into a fight with before going off to war?

4. What does John Grady tell Billy he wants to do with Magdalena at a saloon in Chapter 2?

5. From what ailment does the piano player at the White Lake suffer?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Billy tease John Grady after he stays up all night trying to tame a wild horse?

2. How does John Grady come to secure a home for he and Magdalena?

3. How is the cowboy's dog hunt for mountain lions described in the book?

4. What does Troy say he is thinking about doing while on a long drive with Billy near the beginning of the book?

5. How does the windshield of the truck Billy and Troy are traveling in get busted in Chapter 1?

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

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

8. What is the nature of John Grady and Magdalena's conversation at the White Lake bar in Chapter 2?

9. How does Mr. Johnson describe a stampede he once dealt with to John Grady in Chapter 2?

10. How is John Grady able to find the location of the young Mexican girl he first saw at the beginning of the book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the portrayal of having conversations in the book. What important role does John Grady's conversations with others, especially Mr. Johnson, have in our ability to better define the nature of his character and what motivates him?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

The presence of God is found in many parts of the book and is discussed by several characters including John Grady, Magdalena and Eduardo. Part 1.) What role does God appear to play in Magdalena's mindset throughout the book, and what can we learn about the nature of her character based on her religious practices? Part 2.) What can we learn about Eduardo's true nature based on his and Magdalena's conversations regarding God and prayer? Part 3.) What might the author be saying about God based on the outcome for book's more religious characters like Magdalena, Eduardo and John Grady?

(see the answer keys)

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