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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 old was Mendez, compared to most of the walkers?

2. What reason did the remaining two Coyotes give for leaving the group?

3. What kinds of maps did the Coyotes have?

4. How did the walkers evade the Border Patrol's drag system the first time Mendez crossed the Devil's Highway?

5. What passage did Mendez mistakenly think he had found, causing the group to wander further into the mountains?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Mendez tell the men to pretend that they were going to San Luis?

2. How does Urrea explain the low quality of budget border motels?

3. Why did the Border Patrol agents fail to recognize Mendez?

4. In which direction did Mendez tend to veer while walking?

5. What geographical feature did Mendez get lost in, as if it were a maze?

6. How does Urrea describe Reymundo Sr.'s treatment of his son?

7. What did Mendez do to upset Rafael Temich?

8. According to Urrea, what do people crossing the desert have to resort to doing "sooner or later" (126).

9. What are the initial signs of heat stress?

10. What disrupted the walkers' plans at Bluebird Pass?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despite being an entirely natural space, the desert of The Devil's Highway is often described in language connoting artificial, alien, or supernatural forces. Cite evidence from the text to demonstrate one of these patterns in Urrea's word choice and the context in which this rhetoric is employed. Conclude by explaining the influence these decisions have on Urrea's characterization of the desert.

Essay Topic 2

As the lone surviving Coyote from the trip, Mendez serves as a central figure within The Devil's Highway. Urrea offers multiple competing interpretations of Mendez's motives, behavior and personality. Choose one major event involving Mendez, comparing and contrasting the different interpretations of his behavior that Urrea offers. Conclude by suggesting which interpretation seems ultimately more convincing and stating your reasons why.

Essay Topic 3

The Devil's Highway is populated with an array of pseudonyms. Many of the people described are introduced as "John Doe" (32) and similar aliases. In some cases, aliases are all that we are ever given. Use evidence from the text, including direct statements of intent within the afterword, to interpret the significance of Urrea's decision to shroud the book's subjects in layers of anonymity and pseudonymity.

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