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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 does Buzzworm end up throwing the cooler?

2. While on the bus, what does Rafaela ask Arcangel about his job?

3. In Chapter 36, why are the people around Arcangel amazed with his orange?

4. In Chapter 25, how does Gabriel feel after speaking with Rafaela on the phone?

5. Why does Arcangel no longer move the bus in Chapter 36?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Rafaela calls Gabriel after mailing him the cooler from Dona Maria's?

2. What does Emi confess to Buzzworm when she is on top of the news van?

3. What happens when Gabriel faxes Bobby the wrestler poster in Chapter 40?

4. How does Gabriel feel about the use of technology in his news reporting?

5. What happens when Arcangel tries to cross the United States border in Chapter 33?

6. What do Buzzworm and Emi do before Emi dies?

7. In Chapter 27, what does Gabriel ask of Emi while he is away in Mexico?

8. Why does Rafaela visit Gabriel's house, after leaving Dona Maria's, in Chapter 24?

9. Why is Rafaela nervous during her bus ride with Sol and Arcangel?

10. What prediction does Manzanar make in Chapter 35 about the Los Angeles sporting events?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the commentary the author provides on multi-culturalism in "Tropic of Orange"? How do the characters with multi-cultural backgrounds influence this commentary? What does the movement between Mexico and the United States reveal about multi-cultural societies?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze the use of creating a novel out of many smaller stories that are interconnected briefly through the relationships between the characters. Is this useful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the narrative devices used in "Tropic of Orange". Consider the multiple narratives, shifts in voices and shifts in time. What is the impact on this novel's characters and plot development? How does this influence the development of the major themes?

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