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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. On June 17, where does Mari learn the detention center is where her father is being held?

2. How old does Mari think she will be before her father allows her to have a boyfriend?

3. What was the temperature when Gramps would have to wipe off the cows' teats to prevent the milk from freezing where it dripped?

4. Where is Mrs. Cruz in a detention center?

5. How does Mari's mother try to escape when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes to the farm?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the only things Tyler wants for his birthday?

2. What does Mari write about her mother's condition in a letter dated April 22, 2006?

3. What type of friend does Mr. Rossetti become to Tyler?

4. Where does Tyler find money, and what does he do about it?

5. How do Mari's grandparents learn that Felipe is in jail?

6. How does Tyler get a job?

7. When is the girl the Cruzes are calling Felipe's girlfriend going to Mexico, and what will she take with her?

8. What is it like for Mari at home when her mother returns?

9. After Mari talks to the ICE officials, what happens to her mother?

10. How does Mari celebrate Three Kings Day?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in Return to Sender? What is the importance of these flat characters to the storyline? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 2

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does Alvarez use idioms in Return to Sender? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand? Why do the idioms often require research to understand their meaning? Why are idioms especially difficult for Mari to understand?

Essay Topic 3

The Day of the Dead is a holiday in Mexico that takes place over three days starting with Halloween. Why is the Day of the Dead important to Mexicans like Mari and her family?

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