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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. In Chapter 7, what do Andrés and Jeremy do the first time they visit Jeremy's childhood basement?

2. In Chapter 2, what are the parents of Enrique and Andrés convinced will guarantee their success?

3. In Chapter 2, although Rosario fears what her absence at home might engender, where does she start working?

4. In Chapter 1, though many people talk to him, surprised to see him after so long, Andrés is most interested in seeing Simone and who else?

5. In which chapter of the book does Andrés visit a Dominican restaurant with Álvaro?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Chapter 2, what kind of neighborhood were Álvaro and Rosario on the rooftop of?

2. In Chapter 7, how does the narrator feel about his mother's past and her life before coming to America? How does this shape his understanding of her as a person?

3. In Chapter 10, why does Andrés's mother refuse her offer to supplement her pension?

4. In Chapter 6, what role does religion play in Andrés's school and how does it affect the students' sense of community and belonging?

5. In Chapter 3, who is Nicole and what is Andrés's history with her?

6. In Chapter 3, how does Andrés feel about his past behavior towards Nicole and what does he feel the need to do about it?

7. In Chapter 2, how did Álvaro and Rosario afford their new home?

8. In Chapter 7, how does the narrator's relationship with his mother compare to his relationship with his father? What are the differences and similarities between the two relationships?

9. In Chapter 6, how does Andrés cope with the discomfort of being different, and what are the implications of his coping mechanisms?

10. In Chapter 9, what happened on Halloween to Andrés and his friends? Who were the assailants?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 12, in what ways does the conversation between Andrés and Simone reveal the character of each of them?

Essay Topic 2

In Chapter 24, the narrator mentions an Islamic center in town and wonders about the Muslim population. What might this say about the narrator's perspective on cultural diversity in their community? How does the presence of the Islamic center challenge or reinforce stereotypes?

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 18, how does the protagonist's attitude towards the men's final and Venus losing reflect their overall perspective on life?

(see the answer keys)

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