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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. Why do people sometimes have trouble classifying Ryan's voice?

2. Which of the following songs does Ryan sing for his audition for the Virginia Governor's School for the Arts?

3. What instrument does Zeger say Ryan has to make his voice more like?

4. Who is the white student Ryan befriends in school and whose family Ryan spends a great deal of time with?

5. What do the kids on Ryan's bus say when they find out he is singing opera?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Ryan's family very surprised when they hear he is seriously interested in opera?

2. In Chapter 11, how does Ryan's budding relationship with the red-headed soprano work out?

3. How does Gayletha Nichols describes Ryan's appeal to other people in Chapter 14?

4. In Chapter 13, why is Ryan afraid he may become like the singer Terrence Coleman?

5. In Chapter 13, what does Ken Noda tell Ryan about how he will be judged as a singer because of his race?

6. What kind of influence does Mr. Brown have on Ryan during his time teaching him?

7. Why does Mr. Brown experience conflicted feelings about religion?

8. Why does Ryan like spending time at his friend Jared Poulter's house in high school?

9. Why did the child piano prodigy Ken Noda abruptly stop performing piano concerts?

10. What was wrong with the area that Valerie and Ryan move to, the little green shack, in a town outside of Norfolk?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

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

Mrs. Bette Hughes, a teacher of Ryan's from elementary school, has a very significant impact on Ryan's life. Write an essay discussing Mrs. Hughes's significance in Ryan's life.

(see the answer keys)

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