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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 2006, when is the last snowstorm?

2. How much money does Mr. Cruz need to pay the men who are holding his wife hostage?

3. What is the usual sentence for Felipe's offense?

4. When do Tyler and his family plant their corn?

5. When can prisoners at the county jail, like Felipe, receive visitors?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Mrs. Cruz treated like a criminal when she is rounded up by ICE?

2. What is it like for Mari at home when her mother returns?

3. Why does Mari want to speak to ICE officials, and who goes with her?

4. What type of friend does Mr. Rossetti become to Tyler?

5. What is the only things Tyler wants for his birthday?

6. After Mari talks to the ICE officials, what happens to her mother?

7. What does Grandma tell Tyler when he asks why Mr. Cruz wants to go to Texas?

8. Why does Tyler believe this Christmas will be the worst ever?

9. What punctuation mark does Mr. Bicknell introduce to his students?

10. How does Tyler get a letter from Mari to Felipe?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Backstories are used to present information about events that happened before events in Return to Sender. How do backstories provide insight into characters and events? What is the importance of backstories in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does Alvarez use idioms in Return to Sender? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand? Why do the idioms often require research to understand their meaning? Why are idioms especially difficult for Mari to understand?

Essay Topic 3

Alvarez reveals Tyler’s life during a pivotal time. How do the events in Return to Sender help Tyler mature and grow in the novel?

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This section contains 801 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample