Candor : Reading Test

MULTIPLE CHOICE: 5 Points for each answer correctly circled

1. What genre is the novel? 

(A) Contemporary Non-Fiction

(B) Utopian Science Fiction

(C) Dystopian Science Fiction

(D) Young Adult Romance

2. Who is the narrator of the story?

(A) Nia

(B) Oscar

(C) Mr. Banks

(D) Sherman

3. When Oscar first meets Nia she is doing which of the following:

(A) Preparing to “tag” something with orange spray paint.

(B) Bouncing a basketball.

(C) Playing with sidewalk chalk.

(D) Studying at the library after hours.

4. What is the nature of Oscar’s relationship with Sherman?

(A) They are best friends.

(B) They are on the student council together.

(C) Sherman is Oscar’s client.

(D) They are mortal enemies vying for the love of the same girl.

5. What is peculiar about the town of Candor?

(A) All the kids get straight A+ grades.

(B) Most citizens consider Art pointless.

(C) Music plays everywhere all the time.

(D) All of the above

6.What genre of music does Oscar give Nia to keep her from becoming a “Candor kid?”

(A) Classical

(B) Heavy Metal

(C) Jazz

(D) Rock n’ Roll

7. When Oscar is captured and confronts his father, whats the first thing he says?

(A) “I got tired of Rye toast.”

(B) “I’m sorry, dad.”

(C) “I’d buy them a going away present.”

(D) “Call me Ishmael.”

SHORT ANSWER: 5 points for each answer. Use complete sentences.

8. What is the significance of the music that plays everywhere in Candor?

Subliminal Messages play altering the behavior of residents and their children.

9. How is Oscar different from all the other inhabitants of Candor?

Oscar is the son of the town's founder and can fight the messages, Oscar has free will, Oscar has his own messages, Oscar rebels.
 
10. Oscar makes reference to having loads of money in off-shore accounts. How did Oscar earn this money?

By helping other kids escape Candor before the music could fully brainwash them. By helping people escape candor.

11. What does Nia like to do that the music makes her give up?

She likes to draw, paint. She is artistic. She also likes to run away from home.

12. What goes on in the sleep room and why is Oscar afraid of Nia being sent there?

People are sent there for intense reprogramming, brainwashing. Some people are driven crazy. Oscar wants to keep Nia as she is.

13. What did Oscar’s girlfriend Mandi do to make her parents move to Candor?

She bullied another girl who competed against her in a beauty pageant and that girl committed suicide.

14. What is revealed when Oscar and his dad remove the tarp at the annual brick ceremony (Be sure to be ultra specific)?

Graffiti that reads "I know the secret" or "Cover your ears."

SHORT ESSAY: Below you will find a list of 6 essay prompts. From the list you need to pick two of the prompts and write response essays in the space provided. Please be sure to state your opinions and arguments as clearly as possible. Both essays will be worth 15 points each for a total of 40 points.

(1)    Discuss the benefits of conformity in this novel. Mr. Banks obviously thinks his way of living and the lifestyle in Candor is beneficial to the greater good. How is he right or wrong in this assumption?

(2)    The penultimate scene of the novel shows Oscar sacrificing his own freedom and individuality to aid in Nia’s escape from Candor. In light of the novels ending do you think it was worth his sacrifice? Give reasons why or why you think one way or the other and put yourself in Oscar’s shoes. Would you have acted differently?

(3)    In the final scene, when Mr. Banks asks Oscar the question “What would you say to someone if they told you they wanted to leave Candor?” Oscar gives a response that is unsatisfactory. What is his response and why do you think Mr. Banks rejects it?

(4)    This novel uses some foul language, depicts scenes of teen drinking, alludes to teen sexuality, and the act of “tagging.” Do you feel this makes the book morally questionable? Do you think I should remove it from my reading list? Why or why not?

(5)    Sherman is a character in this novel who manipulates the “brainwashing” system to get himself a girlfriend. What do you think of this act?

(6)    Oscar Banks is the protagonist of this novel. But is he a hero? Discuss in your essay his acts of heroism and the acts that might be morally reprehensible.

(7)    Compare Candor with the real world of today. Do you see any strong similarities between the fictional story and the real world? Cite examples from the book and compare them to a situation in either the present or the past. Be thorough in your answer.

 (1) TITLE:______________________________________ (*5 points EC)

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(2)       TITLE:__________________________________(*5 points EC)

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When you have completed your test, please bring it to the front of the room, place it face down on my desk and use the rest of the class time as a study period. Please be courteous to others around you and refrain from talking until the end of the hour.

THANK YOU!