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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. According to Urrea, why did "hungry men" (47) want to work with Don Moi?

2. How many dead men did Border Patrol agents discover during their banzai run?

3. Who processed the paperwork of the Yuma 14?

4. What other government organization sometimes has Border Patrol vehicles pulled over for inspection?

5. Which of the following groups is NOT included in the list of people who mock or dislike Border Patrol agents?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were economic conditions like when the Yuma 14 lived in Veracruz?

2. Why were the walkers hoping to encounter Border Patrol agents, even though they were crossing without authorization?

3. Who was Don Moi?

4. Who joined Reymundo Barreda Maruri Sr. on his journey?

5. To whom does the term "Coyotes" refer?

6. According to Urrea, how did Operation Gatekeeper change border crossings?

7. Who is Ken Smith?

8. According to Urrea, what is the most sensible interpretation of the sign "USA Prohibido!" for Spanish-speakers?

9. Why do some guides feed their walkers diet pills?

10. What was the banzai run?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The journey of the Wellton 26 was undertaken entirely by people identified within the text as male. Write an essay analyzing the role that gender plays in Urrea's depiction of this deadly crossing. Use evidence from the text and any outside research you may require to analyze how codes of masculinity influence the walkers' motives, belief, or behavior.

Essay Topic 2

Though The Devil's Highway is a non-fiction book, in incorporates many poeticized and fictionalized passages. Choose one or more passages from the book incorporating a poetic or literary technique such as stanzas, dialogue, metaphor, personification, symbolism, or character development. Explain how the technique is used in the passage, both justifying your choice as an example of the technique specified and analyzing the effect the technique's usage has on the reader. Conclude by explaining how the use of this technique impacts the book's truthfulness.

Essay Topic 3

Religious imagery and rhetoric abound in The Devil's Highway. Analyze how Urrea uses these devices to shape the text's tone and themes. Provide evidence from the text and any outside research you may require to analyze the connotative or symbolic aspects of the author's word choice and the impact they have on the book's message and emotional content.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 606 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample