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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 was the name of the supervisory officer in Wellton station at the time of the book's events?

2. What does the suffix "-tepec" mean, according to Urrea?

3. According to Urrea, what is the only thing Mexico does to prevent walkers from crossing the border in Sasabe?

4. How many dead men did Border Patrol agents discover during their banzai run?

5. Which of the following creatures is NOT said to reside in Desolation?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the banzai run?

2. From what state did most of the Yuma 14 come?

3. What condition were the bodies of the Yuma 14 in when they were found?

4. How does Urrea characterize the relationship between Border Patrol agents and politicians?

5. According to Urrea, what was the most scandalous item provided in the survival kits that the Mexican government created for walkers?

6. Who oversaw the human smuggling operation that led the Yuma 14 into the desert?

7. What is Desolation?

8. Who were the Wellton 26?

9. Why were the walkers hoping to encounter Border Patrol agents, even though they were crossing without authorization?

10. Who were the Yuma 14?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Urrea writes in the afterword, "The border can be seen either as a hideous scare that binds two warring cultures together.... Or it can be seen as an imaginary line that unites overlapping human tribes" (234). Write an essay comparing and contrasting these two visions of the border. Cite passages in the text that correspond to either vision, analyzing Urrea's rhetoric and choice of details to determine which vision is expressed.

Essay Topic 2

The governments of the United States and Mexico both have their foundations in European colonization. How is that history reflected within the pages of The Devil's Highway? Conduct your own research to select a working definition of colonialism. Explore interactions within the text that reflect your definition of colonialism and conclude by interpreting the role colonialism plays.

Essay Topic 3

Economic forces drive and support many of the events described over the course of the Devil's Highway and Urrea goes into some detail describing them. Write a paper analyzing Urrea's presentation of the significance of these forces. Use details from the text to describe the economic influences at play, interpret Urrea's analysis, and respond with your own critique or elaboration upon Urrea's thinking.

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This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample