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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. How are "the unspoken words" described in the poem "After"?

2. What is the score that Josh says the game is at in "For Dad"?

3. Who did Josh's dad call "a selfish millionaire with a bad attitude," according to the narrator in "Churlish"?

4. What basketball camp did JB's girlfriend go to, according to the narrator in "Things I Learn at Dinner"?

5. What is the final score in "Text Messages from Vondie"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What condition has led to Chuck Bell's hospitalization in "Fourth Quarter"?

2. What does Josh's mother say happens to "boys with no self-control" (138) in "Suspension"? What does she mean by this statement?

3. What are some of the questions that appear in the poem "Questions" in "Fourth Quarter"?

4. Why does Josh say JB hates basketball in "Myocardial Infarction"?

5. What stylistic elements stand out in the poem "Fast Break"?

6. How is "Churlish" defined in the poem with the same name? How does Josh apply this term to his life?

7. How does the advice in "Basketball Rule #9" apply to life?

8. What advice does Josh's father give him regarding JB in "The Nosebleed Section"?

9. What character is compared to a storm in the poem "Storm"? How does the author make this comparison?

10. Why does Josh point out the irony of the doctor's name in "The Next Morning"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the relationship between Chuck and Crystal Bell in The Crossover. For how long have they been married? Who appears to dominate this relationship? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Crystal Bell in The Crossover. What is Crystal's profession? How would you describe her relationships with the main characters in the story? What transformation does Crystal undergo in The Crossover?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the use of nicknames in The Crossover. What is Josh's nickname and what significance does it have? What is Chuck's nickname and how did he obtain it? How do these nicknames reflect upon the characters in the story?

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