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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 does Vondie's girlfriend want to be when she grows up, according to the narrator in "Even Vondie"?

2. What game does Josh's team win in "This Week, I"?

3. What musician does Josh describe listening to in "I Don't Think I'll Ever Get Used To"?

4. At what time is the first message posted in "Text Messages from Vondie"?

5. What is the punchline for Josh's dad's joke in "Final Jeopardy," "Y'all know what the mama turkey said to her naughty son?"

Short Essay Questions

1. What is related of Vondie's girlfriend in "Even Vondie"?

2. What character is compared to a storm in the poem "Storm"? How does the author make this comparison?

3. How is "Churlish" defined in the poem with the same name? How does Josh apply this term to his life?

4. What does Josh's mother say happens to "boys with no self-control" (138) in "Suspension"? What does she mean by this statement?

5. Why does Josh say JB hates basketball in "Myocardial Infarction"?

6. What stylistic elements stand out in the poem "Fast Break"?

7. What is the focus and meaning of "Basketball Rule #7"?

8. How would you describe the mood of the poem "After" in "Third Quarter"? How does the author develop this mood?

9. What are some of the reasons that Josh lists in "Mom, Since You Asked, I’ll Tell You Why I’m So Angry"?

10. What advice does Josh's father give him regarding JB in "The Nosebleed Section"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the meaning of the title of The Crossover? How does Josh define "crossover" in the narrative? How does this term apply both to basketball and to life?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the style of the poems in The Crossover. Does the author employ rhyme and meter throughout the poems? What are examples of similes, metaphors, and other literary devices employed in the poems?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the relationship between Chuck and Crystal Bell in The Crossover. For how long have they been married? Who appears to dominate this relationship? Why?

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This section contains 820 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample