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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. To what did Mendez allegedly attribute the strange lights at Bluebird Pass?

2. Why was Reymundo relieved his brother did not join him on the journey?

3. Who was the "bad-toothed scrapper" (85) that joined Mendez on the walk through the Devil's Highway?

4. How did the brothers Isidro and Mario Gonzalez Manzano rehydrate to survive?

5. What time did the men say it was when they met with Mendez?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Mendez do to upset Rafael Temich?

2. Why did Reymundo Sr. tear up his American money?

3. How does Urrea explain the low quality of budget border motels?

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

5. What happens to the expedition led by Santos?

6. What are the initial signs of heat stress?

7. According to Urrea, what do people crossing the desert have to resort to doing "sooner or later" (126).

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

9. How did getting lost affect the walkers' opinion of the human smugglers?

10. What did the walkers discuss with their Coyotes on the morning of May 21?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despite writing predominately in English, Urrea employs specific Spanish terms throughout the Devil's Highway, such as "tinaja" (7) and "polleros" (60). Choose one or more Spanish terms used within the text and analyze the effect they have in establishing the book's setting and/or themes.

Essay Topic 2

Though The Devil's Highway is a non-fiction book, in incorporates many poeticized and fictionalized passages. Choose one or more passages from the book incorporating a poetic or literary technique such as stanzas, dialogue, metaphor, personification, symbolism, or character development. Explain how the technique is used in the passage, both justifying your choice as an example of the technique specified and analyzing the effect the technique's usage has on the reader. Conclude by explaining how the use of this technique impacts the book's truthfulness.

Essay Topic 3

Urrea uses many racial and occupational epithets over the course of The Devil's Highway, occasionally providing etymological explanations for more obscure entries. Choose three or more examples from the book, then describe their use and surrounding context. Use your findings to respond to Urrea's reflections on this practice as expressed in the afterword.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 640 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample