View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What crew member for the University of Washington varsity crew in 1936 hailed from Anacortes, Washington, and was an accomplished pianist and athlete?

2. What was the time of the University of California at Berkeley's crew in their heat for the 1936 Olympic trials?

3. Who was the president of both the AAU and the American Olympic Committee in 1935?

4. How many crews competed for the right to go to Berlin's 1936 Olympics in Princeton?

5. What was the name of Bobby Moch's father?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Al Ulbrickson concerned about Don Hume and his performance as the University of Washington crew trained in Germany before their trials in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 17?

2. How did the University of Washington crew feel as they prepared to depart for the regatta in Poughkeepsie in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 14?

3. How does the author describe the regatta at Poughkeepsie in 1935? How did the University of Washington perform?

4. What position did Joe Rantz take at the Grand Coulee Dam site in the summer after his sophomore year at the University of Washington? How much did the job pay?

5. How does the author describe the American rowing team's performance at their final race in the 1936 Summer Olympics? What strategies were used?

6. How does the author describe the University of Washington crew's performance at the regatta in Poughkeepsie in 1936?

7. What function does Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 18 serve in the plot structure of The Boys in the Boat? How?

8. What concerns did Al Ulbrickson express about the regatta course for the 1936 Summer Olympics? How was the matter resolved?

9. What ship did the University of Washington crew take to Europe for the 1936 Summer Olympics? How is the setting of the ship described?

10. What advice did George Pocock give to Joe during the Olympic training session in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 13? How did this advice affect Joe's performance?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author’s depiction of Joyce Simdars in the narrative. How old was Joyce when she met Joe Rantz? What attracted Joyce to Joe? What are some examples of sacrifices that Joyce made in order to be with Joe?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the childhood of Joe Rantz and discuss how Joe’s childhood influenced his rowing career. Do you think Joe would have made it as far as he did in life without having such a troubled upbringing? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author’s portrayal of Nazi Germany in The Boys in the Boat. Is the author’s depiction of the country positive or negative? Is the portrayal historically accurate? How effective do you think the author is at developing the atmosphere of Nazi Germany?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,055 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample