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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does the author respond when a friend says in Chapter 3, "You are always on sabbatical"?
(a) "I am not."
(b) "Easy."
(c) "Why not?"
(d) "I've never taken sabbatical."

2. The author writes in Chapter 1, "If this were a domestic tragedy, and it might well be, this would be your fatal flaw." What is the fatal flaw she describes?
(a) "Your memory, vessel of your feelings."
(b) "Your ambition and hopes for progress."
(c) "Your blackness."
(d) "Your belief in a system of justice."

3. What word from Chapter 2 means ordinary or everyday?
(a) Elusive.
(b) Quotidian.
(c) Arbitrary.
(d) Culinary.

4. According to the world's view, the author says in Chapter 4, "No one should adhere to the facts that contribute to" what?
(a) "Redemption."
(b) "Politics."
(c) "Deception."
(d) "Narrative."

5. In Chapter 3, the author describes Judith Baker discussing what makes language hurtful. She writes that Baker's response is "We suffer from the condition of being" what?
(a) "Frightened."
(b) "Angry."
(c) "Superior."
(d) "Addressable."

Short Answer Questions

1. What film does the author describe seeing with a friend in Chapter 1?

2. Rankine opens Chapter 4 with the statement that "To live through the days sometimes you moan like" what?

3. Why does the woman at the cafe tell the author her son was not accepted at the college of her choice in Chapter 1?

4. What word from Chapter 4 refers to a sentimental longing for the past?

5. Where is the school described as being located in Chapter 1?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Judith Butler and why does the author cite her in Chapter 3?

2. How does the author illustrate the differences between white and black experiences in Chapter 3?

3. How does the author describe Serena Williams's career in 2012?

4. What symbolism can be seen in the imagery in Chapter 1?

5. Who is Hennessy Youngman and what is discussed regarding him in Chapter 2?

6. Why is the friend upset about hiring an African American in Chapter 1?

7. What does the author suggest as a potential power in racist language in Chapter 3?

8. What is symbolized by the imagery on the cover of Citizen: An American Lyric?

9. What symbolism can be seen in Chapter 4?

10. What theme predominates Chapter 2 of Citizen: An American Lyric?

(see the answer keys)

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