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

2. Which operatives worked at the bottom of the human smuggling hierarchy?

3. According to Urrea, what connotation does "pollo" carry when talking about chicken?

4. What was carried by the apparition of a white woman who appeared before the warriors of the O'Odham in 1699?

5. What country did the walkers leave during their border crossing?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Urrea characterize the relationship between Border Patrol agents and politicians?

2. Who oversaw the human smuggling operation that led the Yuma 14 into the desert?

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

4. Who was the man that Border Patrol agents referred to as "Rooster Boy"?

5. What techniques do Border Patrol signcutters use to locate walkers?

6. Who is Ken Smith?

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

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

9. What is Desolation?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The governments of the United States and Mexico both have their foundations in European colonization. How is that history reflected within the pages of The Devil's Highway? Conduct your own research to select a working definition of colonialism. Explore interactions within the text that reflect your definition of colonialism and conclude by interpreting the role colonialism plays.

Essay Topic 2

Urrea writes in the afterword, "The border can be seen either as a hideous scare that binds two warring cultures together.... Or it can be seen as an imaginary line that unites overlapping human tribes" (234). Write an essay comparing and contrasting these two visions of the border. Cite passages in the text that correspond to either vision, analyzing Urrea's rhetoric and choice of details to determine which vision is expressed.

Essay Topic 3

Urrea goes into great detail about interactions between law enforcement and border crossers, describing popular perceptions of both groups and comparing them to his personal findings. Write an essay using The Devil's Highway as a basis to analyze the impact of law enforcement on the safety of border crossing. Conclude by suggesting which policies described within the book seem to have the best outcomes for human safety.

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This section contains 613 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample