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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 Eddie doing when Ava arrives at his house?

2. Why is Ava concerned about her health?

3. Where does Eddie invite Ava for the evening?

4. What does Ava involve herself in work that summer?

5. How does Joyce feel about the girls' progress in the last six months?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Ava happy her sister Joyce sounds optimistic?

2. Who does Joyce see as a shining example for the other girls and why?

3. What kind of people did Ava hang with and what was Ava's main problem with that social circle?

4. Where does Ava live at the beginning of the book and what kind of benefits does that place offer?

5. Why does Ava get angry at the pharmacist when she went to get her prescription?

6. How are the two sisters reacting to Imani's presence in the house?

7. What did Ava find out about Reverend Anderson and what were the consequences?

8. How does Ava feel about going to church with Joyce and what does she notice about the new preacher?

9. What does Ava think and what does she see when they drop off the young girl and baby?

10. What does Joyce say about the content of the envelope?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gerry Anderson, the minister's wife, is the epitome of self righteous, judgmental behavior.

1. Do you think this statement is true? Why or why not? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Tell about a situation you or someone you know was confronted with a judgmental person.

3. Do you think a person has the right to judge others and tell others how to behave? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Eddie succumbed to the lowest depths of the drug and street lifestyle and ended up committing murder, for which he paid with ten years of his life. Fortunately, Eddie had found redemption after adversity, though there is also a sense that Eddie still walks a fine line to maintain his forward focus.

1. What do you think is meant by redemption after adversity? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

2. Why do you think Eddie still walks a fine line to maintain his forward focus? Use examples from the book to support your answer.

3. Why do you think people like Eddie decide to change and are able to do so? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Cleage makes the case for an alternate view on the stereotypes assigned to black people by introducing people like Joyce, Ava and Eddie, whose goodness may be challenged at times but is always at the core of what they do.

1. What do you think is meant by this statement? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. What do you think people can do to not judge others by stereotypes? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. How do you think stereotypes get started and how can they be stopped? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,101 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample