STUDY QUESTIONS - MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ

1. By what name is Cedric called by his mother when he was growing up?

a. Junior.
b. Cedric Two.
c. Lavar.
d. Malik.


2. Which important national figure does Cedric visit in the spring of his Senior year?

a. Coretta Scott King.
b. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
c. Vice President Al Gore.
d. Bill Cosby.


3. How old was Cedric when his parents divorced?

a. One month old.
b. One year old.
c. Ten years old.
d. They were never married.

4. Which of the following characters does not have their point of view narrated at some point in the book?

a. Cedric Gilliam.
b. Phillip Atkins.
c. Rob Burton.
d. Donald Korb.


5. What event prompts a "race outreach" meeting in Cedric's first semester at Brown?

a. The verdict of the O.J. Simpson trial.
b. A violent incident involving a Brown professor and a homeless black man.
c. Riots after the Rodney King trial.
d. There were no such meetings during the first semester, but the second.


6. When does Cedric tell everyone at Ballou that he was accepted by Brown University?

a. Before he sends in his application.
b. After he sends in his application but before he hears back from the school.
c. After he receives confirmation of his acceptance from the school.
d. He doesn't reveal it until the graduation ceremony.


7. Zayd Dohrn is named after the relative of which African American celebrity?

a. Biggie Smalls.
b. Tupac Shakur.
c. Tevin Campbell.
d. Marion Barry.


8. Where does Chiniqua Milligan repeatedly invite Cedric to visit?

a. The office of tutor Helaine Schupack.
b. The third floor lounge where Cedric's roommate Rob had taken refuge.
c. The weekly African American student union meetings.
d. Harambee House, the only black dorm at Brown.


9. Why does Cedric return to Ballou for his senior year of high school?

a. He received no scholarship offers to better private schools.
b. He promised LaTisha he would return after his summer at MIT.
c. He wanted to be comfortable with what he knew.
d. He knew he would become valedictorian if he stuck around.


10. What unusual academic move does Cedric take for his first semester at Brown?

a. Take all classes pass / fail.
b. Take six classes instead of the minimum four.
c. Enlist the aid of a different tutor for each of his classes.
d. None of the above.


11. What does Professor Tom James worry about regarding Cedric?

a. His inability to figure out the most complex calculus formula for his class.
b. His inability to modify his sense of identity to better fit into university life.
c. His refusal to offer a traditional paper for the class final.
d. His repeated absences from the class due to work study obligations.


12. With whom does Cedric celebrate Thanksgiving during his freshman year at Brown?

a. Zayd Dohrn and his parents in Chicago.
b. Donald Korb and his family in Boston.
c. Chiniqua Milligan and other students who didn't go home for the holiday.
d. His mother and sister Neddy in Washington D.C.


13. What do LaTisha and Cedric argue about after she attends Scripture Cathedral with him?

a. Cedric's sinful pride at attending Brown University against the odds.
b. The interpretation of what Bishop Long's sermon about dressing properly for church.
c. The rudeness of LaTisha falling asleep during the service.
d. The importance of religion for those who have a chance at being wealthy.


14. What happens when Cedric returns to Ballou for Alumni Day?

a. He is offered a temporary teaching position at the school.
b. He visits Mr. Taylor at his second floor classroom.
c. He gives a speech that contradicts his defiant words during graduation.
d. He actually doesn't attend because of bad weather.


15. What happens when Barbara and Cedric receive the eviction notice for their apartment?

a. Author Ron Suskind contacts the Washington Post to expose the injustice.
b. Minister Bordon from Scripture Cathedral saves them with a check.
c. Barbara and Cedric move into the Jennings family house, where her brother still lives.
d. Barbara and Cedric move in with Neddy at her apartment in Baltimore.