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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. Which two musicians were Magda's favorites?

2. What question did Malcolm Augustus, Chico's opponent, know the answer to when no one else in Manny's biology class had known?

3. What need did Lencho have after the fight that Manny fulfilled after taking pity on him?

4. What was Manuel doing when Manny, Magda, and Rebecca got home from the hospital?

5. Why was Manny certain that Lencho would not beat him up for teasing him from across the school yard?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who were the Berets?

2. Why did Nardo have a particularly difficult time in the first few hours of hard work he and Manny did in their grandmother's yard?

3. Why was it so important to Miguel that Lencho win the boxing match against Boise?

4. 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?

5. What actions did Manny hope Rebecca would take in response to Manuel's abusive actions that resulted in his being jailed?

6. What actions did Manuel take on the day Magda went to the hospital that were indicative of his usual tendency to take a hands-off approach to his family's problems?

7. How does Manny's act of nearly shooting his little sister Pedi play into the novel's theme regarding the power of choice?

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 did the argument between Magda and her mother Rebecca concerning Magda ruining her future show about Magda's character?

10. Why is it ironic for Lencho to be kicked out of the Berets after losing his boxing match to Boise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

William Faulkner once famously claimed that the most important literature deals with the subject of the human heart in conflict with itself. Explain how the theme of Human versus Self is demonstrated within the robbery scene near the end of the novel. Create a decisive, arguable claim and prove it with quotes from the book.

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

Write a feminist criticism essay of the novel, using textual evidence to back up your strong, specific claim regarding the treatment of gender roles in the book.

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