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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 is the name of the girl who sits behind the protagonist in the school room in Chapter 1?

2. What does the word "fabricate" mean in Chapter 4?

3. What tennis tournament have the Williams sisters boycotted since 2001?

4. What women's basketball team was insulted by the commentary of a radio host in 2007 during a discussion of the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship?

5. What tennis superstar expressed his shock that Serena Williams was able to hold it together after losing the semifinal match in the 2004 Women's U.S. Open?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is symbolized by the imagery on the cover of Citizen: An American Lyric?

2. How would you describe the narrative style of Chapter 1? What is significant about the narrative style?

3. How does the author describe Serena Williams in Chapter 4?

4. What conclusion does the author reach in Chapter 4?

5. What is signified and alluded to by the picture of the Rutgers women's basketball team in Chapter 3?

6. How is the theme of memory addressed in Chapter 4?

7. How does the author describe Serena Williams's performance in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Open in Chapter 2?

8. What happens in the narrative at the Catholic school in Chapter 1?

9. What realization does the author reach in Chapter 3?

10. How does the narrator feel about her experiences described in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. How many people died during this natural tragedy? What prevented the victims from receiving help? How does the author characterize the response to Katrina?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the theme of identity in Citizen: An American Lyric. How is identity formed? How are African American identities influenced differently than white identities? How does language relate to identity?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Don Imus and the controversy described in Chapter 3. Whom did Imus make racist slurs against? What were the repercussions of Imus's comments? How did Imus's comments influence racial tensions in the country?

(see the answer keys)

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