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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. In Chapter 22, how long ago was the front end of Samuel's cab smashed?

2. What is Samuel's room at the halfway house filled with?

3. In Chapter 20, what does Mamush find in the glove compartment of Samuel's cab?

4. When Mamush and Samuel visited America, how often was Samuel losing his keys daily?

5. When Samuel was upset one night, and Mamush left against Elsa's wishes, how long did it take him to walk home?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Samuel teach Mamush about lying?

2. Who did Samuel drive to Massachusetts, and how did he plan to turn trips like that into a business?

3. What did Samuel used to do when passengers did not want to pay the fare for riding in his cab?

4. What story does Samuel tell Mamush about a soldier and a woman from Ethiopia?

5. Where does the man in the gray suit that Mamush met at Elsa's take him?

6. When Mamush had called Samuel to tell him that he was coming home for Christmas, what issues was Samuel having with his cab?

7. How did Mamush persuade the clerk at the courthouse to get him the information he wanted?

8. What happened when the police came to arrest Samuel when Mamush and his mother lived in Chicago?

9. What did an Ethiopian named Abdi tell Mamush about a cousin who was deported?

10. What did Mamush learn about Samuel and keys when he and Hannah visited Samuel and Elsa?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Samuel was Mamush's father. However, they had more of an uncle/nephew relationship than a father/son relationship. How would you describe the relationship between Mamush and Samuel?

Essay Topic 2

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does Mengestu use more metaphors or similes in Somone Like Us? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts or imagine characters and situations?

Essay Topic 3

Accumulation is a literary device that allows an author to gather scattered ideas in a literary work and gradually build on information readers need to know. What information does Mamush provide as he tells his story? How does each section add information? How does Mengestu use accumulation to advance the plot and provide important details to readers?

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