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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 job did Mawi's father take upon moving to the United States?

2. Mawi's little brother was given a name which meant ___________ in English.

3. What country borders Eritrea to the south?

4. What was the name of the author's older brother?

5. What was the name of the bully who decided to go after Mawi's brother?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who helped Mawi's family in "Coming to America"? What does this organization do?

2. What example of foreshadowing does the author employ in "A New Life"? What did the family learn about American culture in this chapter?

3. What did Mawi's father teach his children about strangers in "God's Angels"?

4. How does the author explain the meaning of his name in the Author's Note? Whose story does he assert Of Beetles and Angels tells in this preface?

5. How does the author describe his origins in the Author's Note? What is the political history of this region?

6. Where did Mawi's family stay upon their arrival in the U.S. in "A New Life"? Who met and helped them at the airport?

7. What did the strangers from Mawi's homeland bring to his family in "A New Life"? How did they help his mother?

8. What memories does the author describe of his childhood home in "Memories"? What does he question about the memories?

9. What symbolism is employed in describing Mawi's younger brother's birth in "A New Life"?

10. What deferred Mawi's family from leaving for America in 1982 in "Coming to America"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the correlations between American and East African culture and holidays and Mawi's first impressions of Halloween. What Sudanese holiday does the author describe in "Days of Mischief"? What about Halloween attracted him and his siblings?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the settings of Chicago and Wheaton, Illinois. How do the settings of Chicago and Wheaton differ? What were the author's first impressions of each? In what year did Mawi's family arrive? How much English did the members of the family speak?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Mawi's mischief with his brother in "Days of Mischief." Do these stories make the protagonist less likeable? Why or why not? How do you relate to Mawi's adventures with his brother during his youth? In what ways did Tewolde influence his brother?

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