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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. What does Ryan wait for from his father as a child?

2. Who is the last singer's name announced who has moved on to the final round of the Met's young singers' competition?

3. What important leader does Ryan's elementary school teacher introduce him to?

4. Who is Valerie's second husband?

5. How many winners are there in the final of the Met's young singers' competition?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 5, what is the conductor, Patrick Summers, worried there might be too much of an emphasis on in opera these days?

2. What is the incident that leads to Ryan's time in the juvenile detention center when he is 12 years old?

3. What law that Dr. DeJarnette was instrumental in passing was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1960s?

4. In Chapter 5, what does Bernger note about the appearance of the three women who were picked for the Met's young singers' competition final round?

5. What was one of the most damaging and memorable punishments Ryan remembers from the DeJarnette Center?

6. In Chapter 6, what are some of the negative impacts of Valerie's religious beliefs on Ryan and Adrian as they grow up?

7. What does the pronunciation and vocal coach Carrie-Ann Matheson tell Ryan to do when he goes home that evening in Chapter 7 that will help him with his Italian pronunciation?

8. In Chapter 1, why is Banquo's aria from Verdi's opera Macbeth a meaningful audition piece for Ryan?

9. Why does Priscilla Jenkins treat Ryan with kindness and compassion in the DeJarnette Center, even as he treats her terribly?

10. In Chapter 3, what problem does Camille Labarre have with Michelle's first dress that she chooses to perform in for the Met Competition?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 11, When Valerie and Ryan move to the small green shack across from the drug dealers' house, just outside of Norfolk, Virginia, Valerie navigates their dangerous new situation with enough skill so that no harm comes to either of them. Later, Ryan finds it hard to reconcile his mother's failing health with the person she was when she went up against the drug dealers. Write an essay analyzing the conflicting feelings Ryan seems to have about his relationship with his mother at the end of the book.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing the aspects of both Ryan's and his girlfriend Irene Fast's childhoods and backgrounds that are similar in important ways that allow them to understand and empathize with one another.

Essay Topic 3

Ken Noda, the child prodigy on piano turned professional accompanist, describes how his difficult relationship with his mother affected his life and career. Write an essay comparing and contrasting how Noda's and Ryan's problems with their mothers impacted their lives and careers.

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