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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. Why do Border Patrol agents destroy migrants' belongings they find in the desert?

2. What does Cantu learn decapitation can be a symbol for?

3. How do other agents refer to the village Adam and his wife live in?

4. On page 83, what does the dentist ask Cantu if he was aware of as a problem with his teeth?

5. What does Cantu's mother tell him is her impression of the Border Patrol agency?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Cantu and other Border Patrol agents destroy any of the belongings and provisions they find in the desert?

2. Why do some of the agents at the Border Patrol station call Cole "Black Death"?

3. What is one main reason why Cantu's mother does not want him to become a Border Patrol agent?

4. What does Cantu discover that some coyotes, or smugglers who are paid to help immigrants cross the border illegally, give to immigrants to "help" on their journey?

5. How does Cantu's own experiences in Ciudad Juarez compare to what he has heard about the city?

6. Why did Hart's roommate, Dominguez, quit the Border Patrol training?

7. Why does Cantu want to see his classmate Santiago graduate the most out of all his classmates in Border Patrol Training?

8. How did the two young sisters who were brought in to the Border Patrol station alone react to their processing and questioning?

9. What contradictory symbols and feelings does the wolf in Cantu's dream at the beginning of the book convey?

10. Who did Cantu's mother name him after and what was his namesake known for?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What does Cantu learn from some of the people he interviews that live in border towns on the U.S. side of the border about how the U.S.'s immigration crackdowns have affected their daily lives? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text.

Essay Topic 2

What does Cantu's discussion about the rampant femicide in Mexico reveal about the culture in that country, and how does it help to explain some of the reasons for the increase in immigrants trying to cross the Mexican/U.S. border illegally? Write an essay explaining your answer, citing specific references to the text to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Cantu describes the struggles of the migrants crossing the border in inhospitable conditions, the inhumane treatment of migrants at the hands of some Border Patrol agents, and the landscape itself in vivid language and specific imagery. Write an essay analyzing the linguistic style and tone Cantu adopts towards his subject matter, discussing how his choices affect the reader's understanding of his story.

(see the answer keys)

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