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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. Where did Mr. Cruz used to help his father farm?

2. How much was the ticket Gramps got for driving at night without a reflector on the hay wagon?

3. What birds does Mari go to watch in the barn?

4. How old was Mari when she came to the U.S.?

5. Where did Tyler go after his grandfather died and his father was hurt in a farm accident?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Mari decide to deliver her letter to Virgencita de Guadalupe?

2. Why does Grandma visit the Cruzes in their trailer in December?

3. Why is Mari in the barn when Tyler comes out with his telescope?

4. Why does Tyler's father think the Mexicans working for them may not be legal?

5. Why is Mari not able to send the letters she has written her mother in August of 2005?

6. After Mr. Paquette's accident, why did Tyler's parents considering selling their farm?

7. What does Mari compare the swallows to when Tyler tells her they migrate to Mexico in the fall?

8. Why does Ben think Mari gets upset when her sisters say she was born in Mexico?

9. What bad things happened on Tyler's family's farm during the summer?

10. Who are Aunt Roxie and Uncle Tony, and why did Tyler spend a month with them in Boston?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tyler is sure Christmas will be horrible. Why is Tyler sure that Christmas will be horrible? How does it turn out better than he expects?

Essay Topic 2

The Cruz men presented social security cards when they came to work on the farm. However, the Paquettes suspect the men are in the country illegally. What ethical and moral dilemma do the Cruzes cause for the Paquette family?

Essay Topic 3

The town meeting is shown through Tyler and Mari's perspectives. How does showing the meeting through both of their perspectives reveal how they view the world differently?

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