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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 Weasel give Lafeyette and Pharoah?

2. What is clear about the judge in Lafeyette's hearing at Juvenile Detention?

3. What are the results of Vance Lane's efforts at CHA?

4. What is Pharoah's latest interest?

5. What does Pharoah see that makes him stutter again?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Pharoah and Porkchop go to visit Dawn, what is her condition?

2. What hope is inspired in Pharoah as a result of his inclusion in the Upward Bound program at the University of Illinois?

3. What improvements are made to the apartment in the summer of 1989?

4. What does Gwen Anderson tell the CHA about the basement?

5. Describe what Pharoah sees as the boys are eating their food outside the Main Street hot dog stand.

6. What are the projects like in the winter?

7. What is the unfortunate coincidence involving Craig Davis and the police?

8. What does Rickey do that displeases LaJoe?

9. What are some of the improvements Vincent Lane is able to make in the projects?

10. Describe Lafeyette's brush with the law that gets him arrested.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Write an essay on the exploitation of children. Begin with the need for Lafeyette to grow old before his time. Expand that theme to child soldiers and sweatshop laborers. Discuss how and why this exploitation happens to children all over the world.

Essay Topic 3

Twenty years after the events in 1989 involving Pharoah and his drive for an education, America elected its first African-American President who, interestingly, got his first job working in the Chicago housing projects. Write an essay about how young people like Pharoah began seeing greater opportunities during the last two decades.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 973 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample