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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 Jim call the annual Thanksgiving fast at school?

2. Where does Jim's basketball team go for the play-off series?

3. How old does Jim say his dead friend looks?

4. What does Jim tell the cop is the reason he ran when they approached him in the park?

5. Who does Jim talk to about what he learns at the Communist Party meeting?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Chris's story about Willie's injury unlikely?

2. What does Jim tell the principal's secretary when he calls in sick?

3. Why does Jim say the train toward 137th St. suddenly smells like a cattle car?

4. How does Jim manage to hide his report card from his parents?

5. Why is Jimmy Mancole behaving strangely, after he and Jim knock on every door and check every street corner looking for drugs?

6. What theory about paying for food do Jim and his friends share while stoned?

7. Why does Jim stop writing in the winter of 1964?

8. Why does Jim feel Gums's family is being dramatic about him leaving for the Army?

9. Why doesn't Jim like walking to gym class in Central Park?

10. Why do the junkies in the tavern start ordering beer after the cops arrive?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Jim want to return to public school? How is his Catholic school different than a public school? How is it similar?

Essay Topic 2

How does Jim express his confidence over the course of the book? How does he show or hide his weakness?

Essay Topic 3

How do priests and brothers show their power at Jim's school? How do the students interact with them?

(see the answer keys)

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