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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 is the title of Chapter 3?

2. Where did the author travel to see his father during his holiday trip in Chapter 9?

3. What English teacher of his did the author ask if she wore a thong in eighth grade?

4. What date did the author pick to start out on his journey?

5. What movie enterprise did Weston tell the author he was not a fan of in Chapter 7?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is El Tercer Lugar and how is it described?

2. What was Jed's family like growing up? How would you describe his parents' relationship?

3. How did the author self-protect as he grew up?

4. What prompted the author to take his journey across the Americas?

5. What does the author remark about the TV show Will and Grace in Chapter 6?

6. Who is Miguel and how did the author encounter him?

7. How is Mexico City described by the author in Chapter 8?

8. What information does the author relate about the Mayan calendar in Chapter 8?

9. Where did the author work before he began his journey?

10. Who wrote the quote that opens the Prologue, and what does this quote mean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the history of the Aztec Empire. When were the Aztecs conquered? By whom? What remains of the Aztecs today?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss three examples of symbolism in To Shake the Sleeping Self. What does the object/person/setting represent? What mood is evoked through this example of symbolism? Why is it important?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of sexuality in To Shake the Sleeping Self. How does the author identify in terms of sexual preference? What history does he relate regarding his sexuality? How do his perceptions of sexuality change in the course of the narrative?

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