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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. Who is the bass-baritone Ryan is competing against in the Met competition?

2. What does the conductor suggest that Ryan must do by the end of the day in Chapter 5?

3. What caused the scars on the backs of Ryan's legs?

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

5. What did one of the kind workers at the juvenile detention center do for Ryan that helped him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the main reason Ryan has asked people to call him "Speedo" at different points in his life?

2. Why does Valerie get so angry at Cecil when she flies home to her apartment after being stationed in Korea?

3. What important task does Camille LaBarre help Ryan with before the second round of the Met's competition in Chapter 3?

4. Why does Valerie, Ryan's mother, tell Bergner she passed up the opportunity to attend the Air Force Academy?

5. How does Ryan's second practice session with Patrick Summers go in Chapter 7, after he has worked with the pronunciation coach?

6. How do Ryan and Adrian remember their mother Valerie's relationship with Barry?

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

8. 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?

9. Who is the juvenile detention center that Ryan is placed in in Chapter 7 named after?

10. In Chapter 7, what is Ryan worried is contributing to his difficulties with Italian pronunciation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although Ryan befriends his fellow singer and competitor Philippe during the Met's contest, he becomes more and more aware of the gulf in the backgrounds and confidence. Write an essay comparing and contrasting Ryan's and Philippe's experiences and how their backgrounds seem to affect each singer's attitudes towards the Met's competition.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay analyzing how Ryan's behavior in the DeJarnette Center is related to the problems he was experiencing with his mother Valerie at the time, citing specific references to the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

After he leaves the DeJarnette Center, Ryan joins the Latin club, befriends a while classmate named Jared Poulter, and generally tries to integrate himself into the white mainstream of his school. Write an essay analyzing why he takes these actions and what he hopes to gain from his actions.

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