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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 was novel about the manner in which Joe Rantz's parents married?

2. What is the Olympic standard distance for all rowing events?

3. In their sophomore year, Joe Rantz's crew changed their rowing chant from "M-I-B" to what?

4. Who was the bootlegger that Joe and Harry stole liquor from to sell on the black market during the Great Depression in Sequim?

5. On what date did George Pocock and his brother Dick first arrive in Vancouver, Canada?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the theme of "finding value in the discarded" illustrated by the author in Part 2: Resiliency, Chapter 8?

2. How is George Pocock's childhood described in Part 1: What Seasons They Have Been Through, Chapter 3? How did Pocock become involved with boats?

3. What is the focus of the narrative in Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 9? What function does this chapter serve in the plot?

4. How did George Pocock come to his association with the University of Washington?

5. How does the author describe Joseph Goebbels' rise to prominence in Part 2: Resiliency, Chapter 6?

6. What frustrations did Coach Bolles face with the freshman crew after their return from the California regatta in Part 2: Resiliency, Chapter 7?

7. How would you compare the actions, motivations, and characteristics of Joe Rantz and Thula Rantz?

8. What was Ky Ebright's relationship to the University of Washington? How did this history influence his actions as coach at the University of California at Berkeley?

9. What frustrations did Coach Al Ulbrickson face as the crews prepared for Poughkeepsie in Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 9?

10. How is the setting of Seattle described in 1933 in Part 1: What Seasons They Have Been Through, Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the backdrop of the Great Depression in The Boys in the Boat. When did the Great Depression hit in America? What were the impacts of the Great Depression on Joe Rantz’s life? How did the Great Depression influence the perceptions of Americans during the 1936 Olympics?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Joe Rantz’s friendship with Roger Morris. What did Joe and Roger have in common? How did they differ? What was the foundation of their friendship?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme and motif of propaganda in The Boys in the Boat. What role did propaganda play in the rise of the Third Reich? What contributions were made by Joseph Goebbels and Leni Reifenstahl to promote the propaganda agenda?

(see the answer keys)

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