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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 1: Sampson, age 6

  1. How did Sampson feel when he was with his brother, Andre and his friends at the park? What quote in the story supports this statement?
  1. When Sampson was in the emergency room, what was he fascinated with? What quote from the chapter supports your ideas?
  1. Why is Sampson’s fascination at age 6 important in the long run?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 2: Rameck, age 9

  1. How did Rameck feel about the Catholic School? What quote from the story supports this?
  1. How did the nun respond to Rameck’s claims to be bored? What quote from the story supports this?
  1. How does Rameck feel about being challenged by his family? What quote from the story supports this?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 3: George, age 8

  1. How did George feel about school when he was eight years old? What quote from the story supports this?
  1. Why might the woman in the mink coat have hurt George and his teacher?
  1. How does Miss Johnson challenge George’s notion about being intelligent? What quote from the story supports this?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 4: Sampson, age 8

  1. Describe the setting of Sampson’s home. What quotes support your thoughts?
  1. How do you think that Sampson felt when he witnessed the event with The Bomb? Do you think that Sampson felt differently than his two friends? What quote supports your response?
  1. Dr. Sampson Davis says “Actually, we probably never thought of it as stealing. We were just thirsty kids on a hot day who needed a quick and easy cooldown” (p. 35). Do you think that Sampson and his friends knew that they were stealing? Why or why not?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 5: Rameck, age 12

  1. What are the two things that Rameck wants in this chapter?
  1. Why does ‘Ma give Rameck the $150? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. What happens to ‘Ma’s money? Do you think she did the right thing giving it to Rameck?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 6: George, age 11

  1. How did George feel about going to the dentist? How did he feel when he was there? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Did Dr. Thomas encourage or discourage George’s interest in dentistry? What quote supports your answer?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 7: Sampson, age 11

  1. What is Reggie’s advice to Sampson? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Could Sampson have avoided the situation he was in with the police? If so, how?
  1. A simile is a phrase that uses the words “like” or “as” to compare two concepts. Similes help us imagine things we are reading more vividly.

What simile is used in this chapter to describe the sounds of Sampson’s neighborhood? (see page 57)

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 8: Sampson & George, age 12

  1. How was Sampson’s interaction regarding his grades different for his peers and for his mother? Use quotes to support your answer.
  1. How did Sampson feel about taking the test for University High School? What quote supports your response?
  1. How did Sampson and George first meet?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 9: Rameck, 9th Grade

  1. Why didn’t Rameck make friends at University High School? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. What started the fight between Rameck’s boys and the Arlington gang? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Do you think Rameck’s friends thought the same thing that Rameck thought after the fight: “He wondered where his life was heading and how he could manage to escape what seemed to be an increasingly downward spiral” (p. 71, emphasis added)?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 10: Sampson, 10th Grade

  1. Answer George’s question: “‘Why do you think kids at school think making good grades is stupid?’” (pg. 74).
  1. George states, “’A lotta times, it’s just easier to go along than to say something’” (p. 75). Give an example of the three doctors dealing with this statement from any chapter in the book. Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. What do you think of Sampson’s choices with his friend Spud in New York City?

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 11: Rameck, 11th Grade

  1. What protest did Rameck suggest? Why did he suggest it?
  1. What did Rameck believe his consequences for the silly-string event would be? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Rameck’s teacher described him as “an overenthusiastic teenager” but also, “one of the brightest students I have” (p. 88). What might have shown her to this positive perspective of him? Use a quote to support your answer.

Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 12: 11th Grade

  1. How did Sampson, Rameck, and George almost miss their future?
  1. Which of the three boys seemed to influence his peers the most during the Seton Hall presentation? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Are there times when you feel intimidated by a challenge and are reluctant to try to overcome it? Describe a time when this was the case.

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 13: Rameck, 11th Grade

  1. What do you think was influential to Rameck: his goals or peer pressure? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Were Rameck and his friends right for beating up the drug addict?
  1. How did Rameck’s experience in jail over Thanksgiving affect him? Use a quote to support your answer.

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Comprehension Check

We Beat the Street, Chapter 14: Samson, 12th Grade

  1. Why didn’t Samson consider his actions a crime (from page 115)? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. How did Samson’s neighborhood buddies feel about Samson’s plans to go to college? Use a quote to support your answer.
  1. Why was this experience a turning point for Samson’s life?