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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 did Adolf Hitler do when the announcement was made of the winners of the men's eights event at the 1936 Olympics?

2. How tall was the tower that was built on the site where the Maifeld had been at the Reichssportfeld?

3. Who was the stroke man for Penn State at the 1936 Olympic trials?

4. On what date was the medal race for the eight-oared crews in the 1936 Olympic Games?

5. With what rowing crew did the Washington boys get into a brawl in the cafeteria prior to the Olympic Games in 1936?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where did the American rowing crews lodge and train during the 1936 Summer Olympics? How is this setting described by the author?

2. What statement did Al Ulbrickson make via an open letter to the Seattle Times in September of 1935? Why did he make this announcement?

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

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

5. How was the necessary money raised for the crew from the University of Washington to attend the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin?

6. Why was the 1936 regatta against the University of California at Berkeley significant for Joe Rantz? How did the University of Washington perform in the race?

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

8. What did the University of Washington rowing crew come to represent for Seattle and Washington, according to the author in Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 10? Why did they come to represent this?

9. Where did Joe Rantz live while working at the Grand Coulee Dam site? How is this setting described?

10. How did fans and reporters respond when Al Ulbrickson made the decision to pull the sophomore team from the varsity lineup at Poughkeepsie in 1935?

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 and discuss the design and construction of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin for the 1936 Olympics. Why do you think the author focuses on this construction? How is the setting of the Olympic Stadium juxtaposed against other settings in the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the technical aspects of competitive rowing. How many oarsmen are in a racing vessel? Who steers the boat? Who sets the pace for the rowers? What are the common distances of regattas today?

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