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

2. What does the Italian coach tell Ryan to do to practice his pronunciation in Chapter 7?

3. Why does Valerie quit the Air Force?

4. Which famous rap star grew up in a high-rise complex next to the one Valerie, Ryan's mother, grew up in?

5. Why do opera singers sometimes eat bananas before performing or auditioning?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Valerie tell Bergner about the lowest point in her life that she thinks her two boys are unaware of?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

At several different points in Ryan's career, he is drawn to compositions that deal with emotional situations and issues that resonate directly with him because of his own experience. Select one specific piece of music that Ryan has a special, significant connection with because of his own experiences and write an essay analyzing that connection, using specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing how Ryan's relationship with his brother Adrian changed from childhood, through adolescence, and into adulthood. Make sure to cite specific examples from the text in your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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