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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 Peralta's mother initially travel to the USA?

2. Who is married to Peralta's Tia Mercedes?

3. Whose backpack does Peralta hide in Chapter 6?

4. What does Peralta most like to do as a child?

5. Where was Peralta born?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was Peralta's and his family's main holiday diversion during his childhood while they lived in the homeless shelter?

2. What does Peralta do at Resurrection Sunday school to make the teacher want to introduce him to the priest?

3. What kind of support network does Peralta's family have in America when they first arrive?

4. Why does Peralta decide he wants to attend an Ivy League school?

5. What does Peralta do on his flight to New York City as a small child that endears him to people?

6. How does Peralta first realize his family is poor?

7. Why does one of Maria's friends think that Peralta might not be her son?

8. What differences does Peralta feel between his neighborhood in Harlem and the Upper West Side, where his private school is located?

9. Why do Peralta's parents go their separate ways in the early 1990s?

10. Why does Peralta's mother have a falling out with her family in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When does Peralta first begin to understand the significance of his and his mother's lack of papeles, or immigration papers? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How does Yando feel about Peralta's accomplishments? When do Yando's feelings about Peralta's achievements and the praise he has attracted become most obvious? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Peralta decides to shoplift from the record store with his friends, and how does the experience of getting caught change his behavior? Write an essay explaining your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 629 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample