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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 name of the man who assassinates Gaitan?

2. What is the name of the army's counterterroism unit?

3. What is Pablo's pet name for his wife?

4. What does Rubin say was in full swing when he returned to Colombia?

5. How does Pablo force the judge off his case?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what does Pablo express an obsession for education?

2. How does Martinez show he is coming to the end of his tether at the end of this section?

3. Why does Escobar start shipping cocaine to America?

4. How did Gacha die?

5. Why does Mendoza decide to go back to Colombia?

6. What does the author think killing Pablo was primarily about?

7. Describe Escobar's country home.

8. In what way is the Medellin cartel in shambles at the beginning of chapter five?

9. Describe Pablo's time as a car thief.

10. How is Pablo raising money for his war against the state?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Escobar's upbringing contribute to his decision to become a criminal? In what way does the author suggest it was impossible at that time to be big and honest?

Essay Topic 2

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 3

Why does the Colombian and American governments go specifically after Escobar? What suggestions are there that Escobar's death will make no difference to the Colombian drug trade?

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