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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 does a student compare him/herself to when the student says "I've probably witnessed more dead bodies than a ______________."

2. What happens after a student drives John Tu to his car?

3. When the students walk down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, what motto do they chant?

4. What do the Freedom Writers remember when the pressure of their new lives gets too intense?

5. Why does a student call her mother's boyfriend a tornado?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Gruwell spend the summer of 1996?

2. What does Gruwell do after the student's graduate?

3. In Diary 103, how many girls does the student know that go to college?

4. Why does a student have trouble editing a story about an abortion?

5. What does the prom queen write about her life?

6. Why is it so unusual that the Freedom Writers win the Spirit of Anne Frank Award?

7. Why is Gruwell scared sometimes when she drives students home?

8. After the students walk down the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, what does someone suggest?

9. Why did a student charge a Coke machine when s/he was young?

10. Who is Peter Maass?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Things change for the Freedom Writers from the time they begin classes with Gruwell their freshman year beyond when they graduate from high school. What are some changes students make? What books, people, or events help students to change? List examples from the book of how specific students change and what specific things help the students to change.

Essay Topic 2

In the foreword to the book, Zlata mentions that good comes out of something bad. Several students, also mention in their diary entries how something bad turns into something positive. Write about what Zlata means that good comes from bad. What examples does Zlata give that shows good comes from bad circumstances? What do students say about difficult circumstances providing positive results? Provide examples from the book when something seems negative, but leads to positive results.

Essay Topic 3

Write why Gruwell decides that she is being hypocritical at the beginning of the sophomore year. What is hypocrisy? How is Gruwell being hypocritical? How is Gruwell using labels to describe people? What is the danger of stereotyping? How many of the teachers actually are out to get Gruwell? Who helps Gruwell understand her hypocrisy?

(see the answer keys)

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