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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 Cantu tell his mother he wants to work in Border Patrol on page 23?

2. What does Cantu deliberately shoot at the firing range just to see if he is capable of taking a life?

3. What is Adam's reaction when Cantu asks him why his village is called a "vampire" village?

4. Who did Cantu's mother name him after?

5. What does Cantu want to tell Adam on the phone but holds himself back from suggesting?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Cantu and other Border Patrol agents destroy any of the belongings and provisions they find in the desert?

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

3. What fears do Adam and his wife, living in a border town, have about the men who come to the house demanding things?

4. 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?

5. Why do some of the agents at the Border Patrol station call Cole "Black Death"?

6. How does Mortenson treat Cantu when they first meet on the job?

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

8. How was the modern-day boundary between the U.S. and Mexico first defined?

9. Why does one of the older man from Michoacan ask Cantu if there is any work for him to do at the Border Patrol station as he awaits deportation processing?

10. What does Adam say when Cantu asks him why his town is called the vampire town?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Cantu learn from some of the people he interviews that live in border towns on the U.S. side of the border about how the U.S.'s immigration crackdowns have affected their daily lives? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text.

Essay Topic 2

Cantu cites research by various linguists that has examined the dehumanizing language media professionals, politicians, and others often use to describe undocumented immigrants. Write an essay analyzing the various different manifestations of cultural bias towards undocumented immigrants as they appear through common uses of language that Cantu discusses.

Essay Topic 3

How does Cantu's experience with looking after his co-worker Beto's dog relate to his experiences as a Border Patrol agent? How does Cantu end up feeling when he discovers Beto's dog is responsible for nearly killing a neighbor's dog when Beto's dog accidentally gets loose? Write an essay explaining your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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