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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. On what river was the Grand Coulee dam site where Joe Rantz worked?

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

3. What word from Part 3: The Parts That Really Matter, Chapter 10 refers to a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd?

4. What lake is used by Princeton University's rowing team?

5. What did Al Ulbrickson announce to the University of Washington crew as they left on the train for Poughkeepsie in 1936?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Bobby Moch's father warn him of when he knew that Bobby would be going to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics? Why?

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. What last-minute decision did Al Ulbrickson make regarding his crew as they set out for their final race in the 1936 Olympic games? How did the crew respond to this decision?

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

7. 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?

8. 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?

9. 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?

10. What were the Nuremberg Laws that Hitler enacted in 1935? How did these laws define German citizenship?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does “the boat” mean to Joe Rantz? How has the narrative of The Boys in the Boat changed the way you define the meaning of “the boat” in competitive rowing? How did Joe Rantz’s perception of “the boat” evolve in the course of the narrative?

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

Discuss the theme of finding value in unexpected places in The Boys in the Boat. What are two “valueless” items that Joe found new meaning for in the narrative? Who taught Joe the ability to find value in unexpected places?

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