View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did talk show host Bill Maher say on his show that resulted in advertisers pulling their ads?

2. What does Lalami receive in exchange for her alien-registration card at her citizenship ceremony?

3. Which presidential administration does Lalami cite as starting the war on drugs, which resulted in mass incarceration of Black Americans?

4. Which United States presidential administration does Lalami say helped to fund the Mujahideen when ISIS leaders joined them in Afghanistan?

5. How many vehicle stops did the group in Arivaca, Arizona note?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Lalami originally move to the U.S. and how long did she plan to stay?

2. In "Faith," who does Lalami say helped to fund the Muhahideen?

3. What does Lalami say about the Melilla border in Morocco? How has it changed since she was a child? What does it aim to keep separate?

4. What was Pat Buchanan's response in 1992 against Bush's 1990 law allowing more immigrants to apply for visas?

5. What does Lalami note at the end of "Allegiance" about the prior use of the Pomona Fairplex, where she received her citizenship?

6. What year is it and why is Lalami at a ceremony at the start of "Allegiance"?

7. While reading from her novel The Moor's Account, what questions do audience members ask?

8. Who founded ISIS? With what terrorist group did he first train and in what country?

9. What difference does Lalami note between Obama and Trump regarding their allegiance to America?

10. How does Lalami describe Donald Trump's rhetoric regarding immigrants in "Borders"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an analysis of Lalami's commentary on poverty in Conditional Citizens. What examples of poverty does she include? How is America's view of poverty different from how Lalami describes Morocco's view?

Essay Topic 2

Lalami notes a marked difference between how the crack epidemic, which ravaged Black communities, and the opioid epidemic, which struck mainly white rural communities, were handled. Find 1-2 articles on each and write an essay comparing and contrasting how each issues was viewed and managed.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze Lalami's decision to juxtapose some of the story with her experience caring for her mother-in-law after she began to show signs of dementia. Why do you think Lalami chose to incorporate this story into the narrative? Do you think it was effective? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 732 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample