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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 Chapter 13, what does Mitsuko buy?

2. Who leaves the wedding reception with Ben?

3. What does Ben tell his mother she does not have to worry about in a phone conversation in Part II?

4. What does Ben do when Mike asks him if Ben wants Mike to come back in Chapter 22?

5. What does Mitsuko say about her and Ben's journey together in Chapter 31?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Mike leaving for Osaka, Japan, in Chapter 1?

2. Why does Ben think his father could be worse than he thought when he first sees his father in Part II?

3. How do Ben's family take the realization that he is gay?

4. What is one of Ben's father's most serious problems?

5. What does Lydia ask Ben to do in Part I?

6. In Chapter 21, what does Mike tell Ben he is trying to figure out?

7. In Chapter 25, how does Ben react when his mother takes him to her new house for the first time?

8. What does Ben's father say about his sexuality in Chapter 19 that is entirely offensive?

9. What is Mike's reaction when Ben asks him once if he wants kids?

10. What do Ben and Mitsuko start doing together in the apartment in Part I?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What kind of a friend is Ximena to Ben, and what benefits does he seem to glean from their friendship? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How does the reader find out that Benson is HIV positive, and why do you think Washington chose to let the reader know this information at this point in the book and in this manner? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How would you describe Ben's and Mike's conversations about racism, especially during the times when Ben tries to explain to Mike how he feels his family was discriminated against during his childhood and adolescence? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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