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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 action did Rebecca finally take when Manny kept insisting that they needed to take Magda back to the hospital?

2. What reason did Rebecca give Manny for why they could not wake up Manuel and tell him what was happening with Magda?

3. What did Manny list as Nardo's sole physical flaw?

4. What was the most serious consequence levied upon Lencho for losing the fight against Boise?

5. Why did Lencho prevent his boxers from lifting weights?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Manny particularly concerned about his parents finding out about Nardo getting drunk and sneaking back into the house?

2. Why did Manuel assume that Grandma Rosa's house would go to Rebecca and what were his plans for it when that happened?

3. What did Manuel do after he got out of bed and realized what had happened to Magda?

4. Though at first Rebecca claimed it was their lack of money that was keeping her from taking Magda back to the hospital after her fever kept rising, what did she finally admit was the real reason?

5. How does the way in which the hospital receptionist treated the Hernandez family highlight the theme of same-race discrimination?

6. How does Miss Van der Meer's classroom represent the theme of racial inequality?

7. When the fight was not going well for Lencho and Miguel screamed at him to attack Boise, what reason did Manny give for wanting to scream at Miguel to shut his mouth?

8. When Grandma Rosa emerged from the house while Manny and Nardo were working in her hard, what memories did she tell the boys about?

9. What made Chico want to back out of his scheduled boxing match at the last minute?

10. When Magda came home and her family rushed her to the hospital, what symptoms was she exhibiting and to what prognosis did her symptoms point?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the topic of work within the novel. Look at Manny's description of inheriting his grandfather Ignacio's "useful blood" (6) and the contrasting attitudes toward work displayed by Nardo and Manuel. Look also at other discussions of work and ambition in the novel, such as Manny's pronouncement of Albert's risky decision to join the boxing team since he was academically inclined, and pull concrete details from those examples to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the effect of alcoholism on the health of the Hernandez family. What conflicts are a direct result of alcohol abuse and what is the author's subsequent message regarding alcoholism and its effect on families? Support your points with concrete details from the novel.

Essay Topic 3

Determine the author's message regarding the power of choice within the novel. Support your claim with quotes from the narrative. Be sure to use a variety of characters and situations to back up your arguments.

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This section contains 1,546 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample