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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. Who's mother wrote a book, according to the narrator in "Conversation"?

2. Why is Josh's father pulled over in "Game Time: 6:00 p.m."?

3. Where does Vondie's mother work, according to the narrator in "Ironic"?

4. What is the narrator's Number 3 reason listed in "Five Reasons I Have Locks"?

5. What does Josh's father suggest they go get at the end of the poem "Conversation"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the meaning of the title to the poem "Second-Person"?

2. Who is Josh Bell and what role does he play in "The Crossover"?

3. How does Josh describe his brother in "Jordan Bell"?

4. What are some examples of stylistic choices made by the author in the poem "Dribbling"?

5. What are the five resons that Josh describes for having dreadlocks in "Five Reasons I Have Locks"?

6. What does Coach Hawkins have his team do in "At Practice"? Why?

7. Why does Josh suggest his father write a book in "Conversation"?

8. Why does Crystal Bell make her husband sit in the top row of the bleachers during basketball games?

9. What metaphors are seen in "Basketball Rule #1"?

10. Why does Josh lie to his father in "35-18"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Several poems in The Crossover focus on a single word, such as "Irony." What is the significance of these poems? How do these poems explore language thematically? Why do you think the author employs this style?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the author's use of irony in The Crossover. What are examples of dramatic irony in the narrative? What are examples of verbal irony? What are examples of situational irony? How does each serve the text?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the character of Vondie Little in The Crossover. How do Josh and JB know Vondie? How do their relationships evolve in the course of the narrative? Is Vondie a likable character? Why or why not?

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