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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 are Border Patrol agents instructed to do with water, food, and other belongings they find that migrants have left in the desert?

2. Why does Cantu tell his mother he wants to work in Border Patrol on page 23?

3. On page 97, what does Cantu tell Hayward is bothering him about the job?

4. What does Cantu tell the young boys who lost one of their party in the desert NOT to do if they decide to try to cross the border again?

5. When Cantu stops a suspicious car on page 70, what false name does one of the men give to Cantu?

Short Essay Questions

1. What contradictory symbols and feelings does the wolf in Cantu's dream at the beginning of the book convey?

2. What do Morales and Cantu see in the night sky that leaves an impression on them during one of their patrols together?

3. Who did Cantu's mother name him after and what was his namesake known for?

4. What is one main reason why Cantu's mother does not want him to become a Border Patrol agent?

5. What does the dentist who works on Cantu's mouth surmise about his problem grinding his teeth?

6. What do Cantu and his mother always do as a tradition on Christmas Eve together?

7. Why is Cantu so nervous when he comes home from work late one night to see a man lurking in the dark on his street?

8. Why does Cantu want to see his classmate Santiago graduate the most out of all his classmates in Border Patrol Training?

9. What does Cantu discover that some coyotes, or smugglers who are paid to help immigrants cross the border illegally, give to immigrants to "help" on their journey?

10. How did the two young sisters who were brought in to the Border Patrol station alone react to their processing and questioning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book, Cantu has a series of dreams that feature disturbing animals and physical issues (like grinding his teeth so hard they fall out of his mouth). Write an essay analyzing what Cantu's dreams reveal about his state of mind while he is working as a Border Patrol officer.

Essay Topic 2

In the last few pages of the book, Cantu visits Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande River, right on the U.S./Mexico border. For a moment, as he stands in the river, he forgets what country he is standing in. What does Cantu's experience in Big Bend represent about his own feelings and hopes for the future as they relate to the border? Write an essay explaining your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Cantu describes the struggles of the migrants crossing the border in inhospitable conditions, the inhumane treatment of migrants at the hands of some Border Patrol agents, and the landscape itself in vivid language and specific imagery. Write an essay analyzing the linguistic style and tone Cantu adopts towards his subject matter, discussing how his choices affect the reader's understanding of his story.

(see the answer keys)

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