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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 is Pharoah's stutter much less noticeable?

2. What had happened to Urica after her mother, her four-year-old sister, and her mother's boyfriend were killed?

3. How does James say they will all die?

4. Why is eight-year-old Urica Winder in court?

5. What is Pharoah entered in at school?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is the character of Pharoah developed in the story by how he cannot lie to LaJoe?

2. How do the boys sometimes make money?

3. How does a policeman treat Lafeyette in the stadium parking lot?

4. How does the teacher's strike of 1988 affect Pharoah?

5. How are Dawn and Demetrius singled out and publicized?

6. What are some of the serious problems with the construction of the Henry Horner homes?

7. Describe Lafeyette's academic qualities.

8. Describe the emotions of the project boys and the train passengers as a train passes while the boys search for snakes.

9. Point out the contradictions in the character of Jimmie Lee.

10. What is the quality of Henry Suder Elementary School?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Beginning with the positive influence Diana Barone had on Pharoah, write an essay about a particular teacher who inspired and influenced you. Be specific about things that teacher said and did which inspired you to be better at something. Maybe it was not scholastic excellence but some other aspect of your life the teacher impacted.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on the subject of "Living in Fear." Beginning with the constant shootings and murders in the Chicago projects, expand that subject to other examples of people living in fear. Write about living in fear in ones own family because of an abusive family member. Also include examples like countries where genocide is a common practice and people of certain ethnic or tribal identities are in constant fear of being slaughtered.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay on the subject of experience and education. Start with Pharoah who knew from reading that there is supposed to be gold or leprechauns at the end of a rainbow but had never seen one. Discuss in your paper how book study and experience are both part of becoming educated.

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This section contains 903 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample