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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. In "Eight Years Old," what made the author feel worse than being at the bottom of his class at Higgins Elementary School?

2. Why does the author say he felt the stigma of being poor more acutely?

3. What did the author begin to do, in tenth grade, instead of coming home after school?

4. Who took the author's family in once they arrived in a new city?

5. In "A Serious Step," who helped the author get a summer job at Sennet Steel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe capping.

2. Why did the author believe he was going to die in "A Serious Step"?

3. Describe the author's relationship with his father, prior to his leaving the family.

4. What did the author's mother teach her sons that she learned at work?

5. How does the author describe his mother in "Carrying the Load"?

6. What significance did Mary Thomas have in the author's life?

7. How does the author learn about the arts in "ROTC Triumph"?

8. What role did the English teacher, Mrs. Miller, play in the author's life, in "ROTC Triumph"?

9. How did being poor impact the author in "A Boy's Big Problem"?

10. Why did the author initially fall behind in his college studies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does the author believe he has "gifted hands"? How does he receive this gift? What does he do with the gift?

Essay Topic 2

Why does the author strive to be the best, yet shy away from attention and praise? What is the author's motivation for excellence? What does the author personally gain from being a surgeon?

Essay Topic 3

How does the author deal with failure? How does he deal with disappointment? How does he deal with stress? What can one learn from the author's approach to problems?

(see the answer keys)

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