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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. Rodriguez has acknowledged that his relationship with his family changed as he became more educated. What does he say about how that affected his success?

2. How is the "scholarship boy" described?

3. How does Rodriguez's mother react to his educational accomplishments?

4. Rodriguez describes events that happened how many years ago?

5. Does Rodriguez think his religious education had the effect it was supposed to?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Rodriguez feel as his education comes to an end?

2. How does the parents' desire for a good education end up hurting their family?

3. Why does Rodriguez talk about how the rich people pronounce his name?

4. How does learning to speak English change Rodriguez's mother? His father?

5. How does Rodriguez feel about his education?

6. Once Rodriguez starts to read, what happens?

7. How does Rodriguez view his parents' use of English?

8. Why is Rodriguez writing this book? Identify two reasons.

9. What does Rodriguez suggest education does to the scholarship boy? Why does he say that?

10. How does Rodriguez feel about bilingual education?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Rodriguez is told that men behave in one way and women behave in another way. He is embarrassed because based on those standards, he acts more like a woman than a man.

Part One: How does Rodriguez's family define male and female behavior? Why do you think they have those opinions?

Part Two: Do the characters in the book follow those guidelines for male and female behavior? What happens to characters who do not follow the guidelines? What happens to characters who do follow the guidelines? What is Rodriguez saying about gender roles?

Essay Topic 2

Many books written by minority authors identify the discrimination, challenges, and disadvantages faced by people of that minority group or culture. Rodriguez does acknowledge some of those things, but for the most part, his story is remarkably positive about ethnicity. In some cases, he actually identifies his ethnicity as a benefit or an advantage.

Part One: Identify at least two places in the book where Rodriguez identifies some element of his ethnicity as an advantage rather than a disadvantage.

Part Two: As a reader, what do you think about his handling of the ethnicity issue? Is he making things sound better than they really are? Do you think other writers might make things sound worse than they really are?

Part Three: Which approach would you rather read? Do you think your opinion has anything to do with your ethnicity or your life experience?

Essay Topic 3

Part One: What does Rodriguez argue about bilingual education? Explain his argument thoroughly and give specific examples that he uses to support his argument.

Part Two: Do you agree with Rodriguez's arguments? Why or why not? Provide your own examples to support your argument.

(see the answer keys)

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