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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 does the sicario say his dreams made him realize about his work and private lives?

2. Who is Jose's private immigration attorney?

3. What does Hayward tell Cantu about his own experience in the field that makes Cantu see Hayward in a different light on page 145?

4. What is the term for the genetic deficiency that predisposes certain people to acts of hostility?

5. On page 157, what does Hayward tell Cantu about coming back to Border Patrol after a leave of absence?

Short Essay Questions

1. Cantu's mother was surprised when she finally met her long-estranged father. Why?

2. Why is Lupe, Jose's wife, not able to visit the detention center where he is being held awaiting a final decision on his case?

3. How does Cantu get to know Jose, and how does their friendship grow?

4. What does POW stand for at Border Patrol?

5. Who asks Cantu to help Jose when it becomes clear he is having trouble getting back into the U.S.?

6. How does Cantu's uncle in Santa Fe feel about the work he has done his whole life?

7. What does Hayward tell Cantu's new colleagues in Tucson, Beto and Manuel, about Cantu's skills?

8. What does Beto tell Cantu he thinks is a harbinger of death in his family on page 120?

9. What does Cantu's supervisor Hayward at Border Patrol suggest as a change in direction for him that will still allow him to stay with the agency on page 111?

10. What does the U.S. Marshal from the courtroom give to one of Jose's sons that surprises Jose's defense attorney?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Soon after Cantu starts his field work with Border Patrol, he begins to get a sense that the work is not what he expected. He quickly becomes demoralized and disturbed both by what he sees and by the structural limitations of the job itself. Write an essay discussing how Cantu's earliest experiences performing field work with Border Patrol contradict his hopes and expectations about what the job would be like and what he may have been able to learn from it.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

At different points in the book, Cantu listens to and trades insults and stories in graphic language with his colleagues at Border Patrol, who are all men. Write an essay analyzing what the sometimes crude and sexual language they use reveals about the work culture in the Border Patrol sector.

(see the answer keys)

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