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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. What changes Rodriguez's ideas about his complexion?
(a) He writes a news story about the "Black is Beautiful" movement.
(b) He talks about it with one of his professors.
(c) He works construction and gets comfortable about revealing his skin.
(d) He talks about it with other minority students.

2. How does Rodriguez describe the 1970s student?
(a) Too politically conservative.
(b) Cynical and sour about life.
(c) A troublemaker.
(d) Too focused on grades to care about other people.

3. Why does Rodriguez's mother not understand his explanation about psychiatry?
(a) Because she has a cultural attitude about private life and public life.
(b) Because he is explaining in English.
(c) Because he does not tell her the truth.
(d) Because she has a cultural attitude about writers.

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

5. According to Rodriguez's family, what is wrong with Richard?
(a) He needs to work at hard labor.
(b) He needs to be more responsible.
(c) He is more like a woman because he talks a lot and has soft hands.
(d) He needs to talk more when he is at home.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Rodriguez teach in the 1960s and 1970s?

2. When a student complains that he is being kept out of law school, what does Rodriguez do?

3. When Rodriguez applies for teaching jobs, what happens?

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

5. Based on her behavior, who does Rodriguez's mother consider part of the "gringos"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Rodriguez explain psychiatry to his mother? Does she understand? Why or why not? How does that discussion connect to his book and what he is willing to tell her about the book?

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

3. How does Rodriguez use the label "minority student"? How does he feel about it? Give specific reasons why he feels that way.

4. What kind of social life does Rodriguez have? Does he have lots of friends and girlfriends?

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

6. What does Rodriguez think about the Civil Rights Movement?

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

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

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

10. How do people respond to Rodriguez's skin color when he is younger?

(see the answer keys)

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