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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When he was a child, what did his parents say he looked like?
(a) A ghost.
(b) A poor Mexican man who works in the sun.
(c) A sick child.
(d) A wealthy boy who does not work.

2. Now that he is a teacher, what does Rodriguez blame white students for?
(a) They do not make an effort to help poor white students get an education.
(b) They are arrogant and selfish about their grades.
(c) They think they are smarter than the professors.
(d) They are rude to the minority students.

3. According to Rodriguez's family, how are men supposed to be?
(a) Gentle, polite, and soft-spoken.
(b) Tough, aggressive, and bossy.
(c) Ruggedly handsome, strong in character, and responsible.
(d) Intelligent, kind, and good at providing for a family.

4. In Complexion, Chapter 3, what does Rodriguez realize about education?
(a) It provides better job options.
(b) It gives people a voice.
(c) It changes how people look at the world.
(d) It is a waste of time.

5. What does Rodriguez think about his ability to succeed with women?
(a) He will attract a lot of women because he is "exotic."
(b) He will fail because his skin color makes him ugly.
(c) He can only flirt with dark-skinned women.
(d) He will succeed because he has such a beautiful "tan."

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Rodriguez have to do if he is going to write this book?

2. What has happened to Rodriguez's classmate who applied for the same type of teaching jobs?

3. What does Rodriguez think skin color says about financial status?

4. Who teaches Rodriguez that stereotypes are not accurate?

5. How does Rodriguez say that the white students react to affirmative action?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rodriguez's mother tell him about writing about their family? What does his editor tell him?

2. As a child, what does Rodriguez learn about dark skin?

3. As a teacher, how does Rodriguez interact with these other minority students? Why does he act that way?

4. How does Rodriguez feel about white students' attitudes toward affirmative action?

5. Rodriguez looks at the students of the 1960s and 1970s from a teacher's perspective. What does he see as the difference between them?

6. Now that he is older, how do people respond to Rodriguez's skin color?

7. Why does Rodriguez's mother call him "Mr. Secrets"? In spite of his secretive behavior, what does Rodriguez believe she knows?

8. How does Rodriguez handle applying for teaching positions?

9. What does Rodriguez think about the current system of affirmative action? Give two examples he uses to support his argument.

10. As more minority students attend college, what does Rodriguez notice about their relationship to their culture? Give specific examples.

(see the answer keys)

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