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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 reason does Magdalena tell John Grady for why she was sold as a young girl?

2. What part of the car is damaged when Billy hits a bird in Chapter 1?

3. Whose brother died in the war in the book?

4. Who tells a story about driving across the desert near the beginning of the book?

5. Who decides they do not want to leave Mac's ranch in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How does Troy describe a long drive he once took in the desert?

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

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

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

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

8. How does John Grady tell Mac he knew a man's horse was lame when he brought it to them?

9. What does John Grady do when he finds Mr. Johnson wandering around in the middle of the night in Chapter 2?

10. How does Mac choose his horses at the auction he attends in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The presence of violence plays an important role in the book and allows the author to display excellent visual portrayals. Part 1.) What might the author wish to show about the nature of his characters based on the numerous acts of violence portrayed throughout the book? Part 2.) How does the author make use of visual imagery in his writing more during violent scenes than in others, and what purpose might he have for using this method? Part 3.) What can we learn about the nature of Billy's character based on his tendency to stay away from violent acts although often having experience with them?

Essay Topic 2

The events of the past play an integral role in the lives of the book's characters for various reasons. Part 1.) What role does the past play in the relationship between John Grady and Mr. Johnson in the book? Part 2.) What purpose might the author have for placing such emphasis on the ways and customs of the past throughout much of the book, what might he be saying about the nature of change and progress based on this portrayal? Part 3.) Given how the book ends, what impact did Billy's experiences in the past impact his actions later in life, namely when he begins working for a family?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the concept of dreams that is presented in various parts of the book, namely through John Grady and Billy. What might the author wish for the dreams portrayed in the book to symbolize and even explain about the characters that have them or are involved in them?

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