View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the senior that Ulbrickson swapped out for George Morry as coxswain on the sophomore boat at Poughkeepsie in 1935?

2. Who won the bronze medal in men's eights at the 1936 Olympics?

3. Who was the coach of the U.S. women's swimming team that expelled Eleanor Holm from the Olympic team due to her drinking in 1936?

4. How many crews competed for the right to go to Berlin's 1936 Olympics in Princeton?

5. Who was the athletic director for Stanford University that attended the 1936 Olympics?

Short Essay Questions

1. What conflicts arose in the U.S. and other countries regarding Germany hosting the 1936 Summer Olympics? How were these conflicts resolved?

2. How did fans and reporters respond when Al Ulbrickson made the decision to pull the sophomore team from the varsity lineup at Poughkeepsie in 1935?

3. How was the necessary money raised for the crew from the University of Washington to attend the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin?

4. Where did the American rowing crews lodge and train during the 1936 Summer Olympics? How is this setting described by the author?

5. How does the author describe the University of Washington crew's performance at the final Olympic trial in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 15?

6. What were the Nuremberg Laws that Hitler enacted in 1935? How did these laws define German citizenship?

7. Why was the 1936 regatta against the University of California at Berkeley significant for Joe Rantz? How did the University of Washington perform in the race?

8. What advice did George Pocock give to Joe during the Olympic training session in Part 4: Touching the Divine, Chapter 13? How did this advice affect Joe's performance?

9. What did Bobby Moch's father warn him of when he knew that Bobby would be going to Berlin for the 1936 Olympics? Why?

10. How does the author describe the regatta at Poughkeepsie in 1935? How did the University of Washington perform?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author’s depiction of Joyce Simdars in the narrative. How old was Joyce when she met Joe Rantz? What attracted Joyce to Joe? What are some examples of sacrifices that Joyce made in order to be with Joe?

Essay Topic 2

What does “the boat” mean to Joe Rantz? How has the narrative of The Boys in the Boat changed the way you define the meaning of “the boat” in competitive rowing? How did Joe Rantz’s perception of “the boat” evolve in the course of the narrative?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze the actions, objectives, and obstacles of Thula Rantz in the narrative. How old was Thula when she married Harry Rantz? What attracted Thula to Harry? Was Thula happy in her marriage? Why or why not? What were Thula’s feelings about Joe?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,037 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample