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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. Why does Urrea dismiss the possibility that the lights came from a "rogue" Border Patrol agent?

2. What asset helped Mendez maintain control of the group?

3. Who was the "little fat man" (85) that joined Mendez on the walk through the Devil's Highway?

4. Why did the walkers have to stop using the water tank near Bluebird Pass?

5. Whose idea was it for the remaining Coyotes to go their separate way?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the expedition led by Santos?

2. What disagreement emerges between Santos and Mendez?

3. Why did the Cercas gang like working with brothers?

4. What geographical feature did Mendez get lost in, as if it were a maze?

5. What happened to the Coyotes after they abandoned the walkers?

6. In which direction did Mendez tend to veer while walking?

7. Why did the Border Patrol agents fail to recognize Mendez?

8. How does Urrea describe Reymundo Sr.'s treatment of his son?

9. What mistake did the Coyotes make when the men arrived at the big rock?

10. What did Mendez do to upset Rafael Temich?

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

Many of the central subjects in the Devil's Highway have some level of involvement with organized crime and Urrea devotes significant space to describing their culture and methods. Write an essay analyzing the cultural codes and common practices of the gangsters described within the book, using evidence from the text to explain how these codes and practices ultimately led to the death of the Yuma 14.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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This section contains 666 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample