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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 word used to describe Chuck Day in Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 11 means inclined to quarrel or combative?

2. What was the area called where Joe Rantz rented a cheap room while working at the Grand Coulee Dam site?

3. When the author compare's the coxswain's role in a boat to football in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 13, he says that the coxswain would comprise what roles on a football field?

4. Who was the only University of Washington crew member that did not put on weight while on the ship to Berlin before the Olympic Games?

5. Who was the Kansas City AP bureau chief that first coined the phrase "the dust bowl"?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

2. Whom did Joe Rantz befriend while working at the Grand Coulee Dam site? How are these individuals described by the author?

3. 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?

4. What conflicts arose in the U.S. and other countries regarding Germany hosting the 1936 Summer Olympics? How were these conflicts 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. How does the author describe the University of Washington crew's performance at the final Olympic trial in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 15?

7. How did Al Ulbrickson differ from George Pocock in how he addressed the University of Washington crew during the Olympic training session in 1936? Whose coaching strategies proved the strongest?

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

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the spiritual aspects of rowing as illustrated in The Boys in the Boat. How does the element of synchronicity relate to the spiritual aspects of the sport? What spiritual transformation did Joe Rantz experience as a result of rowing?

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 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?

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