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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. Who is the famous opera singer Bergner mentions in Chapter 5 who had surgery to help her lose weight?

2. Two days before Ryan is scheduled to be released from the detention center, what does he do to another child?

3. What is Ryan's middle name?

4. What does the Italian coach tell Ryan to do to practice his pronunciation in Chapter 7?

5. Which of the following laws did DeJarnette advocate for the passage of?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the major difference between Ryan and his fellow singer and competitor, Philippe?

2. What is the main reason Ryan has asked people to call him "Speedo" at different points in his life?

3. In Chapter 1, why is Banquo's aria from Verdi's opera Macbeth a meaningful audition piece for Ryan?

4. Who is the juvenile detention center that Ryan is placed in in Chapter 7 named after?

5. In Chapter 6, what are some of the negative impacts of Valerie's religious beliefs on Ryan and Adrian as they grow up?

6. In Chapter 5, what does Bernger note about the appearance of the three women who were picked for the Met's young singers' competition final round?

7. In Chapter 5, what is the conductor, Patrick Summers, worried there might be too much of an emphasis on in opera these days?

8. Why does Ryan like Arnold Schwarzenegger so much?

9. What was one of the most damaging and memorable punishments Ryan remembers from the DeJarnette Center?

10. What important task does Camille LaBarre help Ryan with before the second round of the Met's competition in Chapter 3?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ryan's family is perplexed when they realize he is serious about studying opera, to the point that his aunt Esther says "Isn't that a white thing?" (118). Write an essay analyzing the reasons Bergner puts forward explaining why black opera singers are still facing a more difficult road in building successful careers at the highest levels of opera.

Essay Topic 2

At several different points in Ryan's career, he is drawn to compositions that deal with emotional situations and issues that resonate directly with him because of his own experience. Select one specific piece of music that Ryan has a special, significant connection with because of his own experiences and write an essay analyzing that connection, using specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay analyzing the aspects of both Ryan's and his girlfriend Irene Fast's childhoods and backgrounds that are similar in important ways that allow them to understand and empathize with one another.

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