Name:



Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide Cycle 1

George – “Dreaming Big”

Directions: Write the letter in the blank of the best answer to the questions below.

1. How old was George when he developed an interest in dentistry?

a. Ten

b. Eleven

c. Twelve

d. Thirteen

2. What was the great gift that the dentist gave George?

a. A toothbrush

b. Braces

c. Information about the tools that dentists use

d. The dream to someday become a dentist

3. What was George’s favorite part of the Stella Wright Housing Projects in which he grew up?

a. The swimming pool

b. The playground

c. The fire escape

d. His bedroom

4. What was George’s mom most likely to do when he or his brother made a good grade on their report cards?

a. Nothing – they were expected to do well.

b. She gave them $5 for every A they earned.

c. She cooked them their favorite meal.

d. She added an extra $1 to their allowance.

5. Who was the closest thing to a father that George ever knew?

a. His step-father, Heyward Mack

b. His uncle

c. His grandfather

d. His friend’s father, Shahid Jackson

6. How old was George when he and his older brother started staying at home alone without a babysitter?

a. Six

b. Seven

c. Eight

d. Nine

7. How would you characterize the types of people George hung out with growing up?

a. They came from less stable environments and often resorted to selling drugs.

b. They were always pulling him down, telling him he’d never amount to anything.

c. They were generally positive people, who, like George, were trying to do the right thing.

d. They really didn’t care about school, and most of them ended up dropping out.

8. What was George’s first job?

a. At McDonald’s, flipping burgers

b. At High Park Gardens, doing groundskeeping

c. At Wal Mart, as a cashier

d. At a barber shop, sweeping hair off the floor

9. Who did George say was largely responsible for his love of school?

a. His mother

b. His brother, Garland

c. His third-grade teacher, Viola Johnson

d. His dentist

10. Which of the following was George NOT exposed to in the third grade?

a. Shakespeare

b. Algebra

c. Broadway plays

d. Trigonometry

Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide Cycle 2

George – “Common Ground”

Directions: Write the letter in the blank of the best answer to the questions below.

1. When did George meet Sam?

a. When he was in seventh grade

b. When he was in eighth grade

c. When he was in ninth grade

d. When he was in tenth grade

2. What type of kids did George tend to hang out with when he was in middle school?

a. Kids who goofed off and neglected their school work

b. Kids who studied all the time and had no social skills

c. Kids who didn’t care about making friends or doing well in school

d. Kids who were able to balance their academic lives with their social lives

3. What type of school did George attend from seventh grade through graduation?

a. Saint Mary’s, a private Catholic school

b. University High, a magnet school with programs for gifted and talented students

c. Clinton School, a public school in Newark

d. Home school

4. George was friends with what pop star when he was in middle school?

a. J Lo

b. Faith Evans

c. Mariah Carey

d. Lil’ Kim

5. Between Sam and George, which of the two tended to have more difficulty staying out of trouble?

a. Sam

b. George

c. They both struggled equally.

d. Neither one had any difficulty staying out of trouble.

6. How did the students respond to the teachers who accepted mediocrity or less?

a. They worked hard even though they knew they didn’t have to.

b. They gave the teachers just what they expected and no more.

c. They liked them the most.

d. They liked them the least.

7. What does George imply was the reason his grades began to fall in high school?

a. He no longer felt challenged academically.

b. Classes were too difficult.

c. He was having problems at home.

d. He started doing drugs.

8. What did Rameck want to be for most of high school?

a. A doctor

b. A hip-hop artist

c. A teacher

d. A politician

9. What talent did Rameck exhibit while he was at University High?

a. Rapping

b. Acting

c. Painting

d. Sketching

10. What was the purpose of the USO, the organization Rameck formed during his sophomore year with the help of his friends Hasaan and Ahi?

a. To plan strategies for improving the schools in Newark

b. To fight for equal opportunities to be available to minorities as they were to Caucasian students

c. To provide alternative after-school activities for kids most likely to end up on the streets

d. To tutor elementary and middle school students who were considered “at risk”

11. What activity organized by the USO attracted the most attention?

a. A fund raiser to raise money to buy new books

b. A student walkout and overnight sit-in at the Board of Education to demand a multicultural curriculum and to protest state budget cuts in education funding

c. A reading group for middle school students lead by high school students

d. An R&B concert for underprivileged students

12. What was one of the results of the efforts of the USO?

a. A course in African-American and Hispanic history offered at University High

b. Higher test scores for at-risk students

c. A drop in violent crimes committed by minors

d. An increase in the number of minority students who graduated high school

13. For what practical joke did Rameck nearly get expelled from University High?

a. Streaking through the halls in between classes

b. Dressing the school mascot up in drag at homecoming

c. Spraying his biology teacher with silly string

d. Tying a student’s shoelaces together, causing him to trip over a desk and fracture his ankle

14. What sport did Sam and George play during high school that they tried to teach Rameck?

a. Football

b. Baseball

c. Basketball

d. Soccer

15. What career was Sam initially planning to pursue after high school?

a. Businessman

b. Hip-hop artist

c. Teacher

d. Doctor

16. Why did Sam, Rameck, and George go to the Seton Hall University presentation?

a. They all three wanted to be doctors and knew Seton Hall had a good pre-med program.

b. They wanted to skip class.

c. They thought the recruiter from the college was hot.

d. They had heard Seton Hall offered excellent scholarships for minority students.

17. What promise did Sam, Rameck, and George make to each other as a result of attending the Seton Hall recruitment presentation?

a. That they would all graduate and go to college.

b. That they would all stay off the streets and say no to drugs.

c. That they wouldn’t date until they graduated college so they would stay focused.

d. That they would all go to Seton Hall and then medical school and stay together until the end.

Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide Cycle 3

George – “Hope”

Directions: Write the letter in the blank of the best answer to the questions below.

1. During his Seton Hall interview, where did George say he wanted to work after graduation?

a. In Newark

b. In a smaller, more suburban community

c. In New York City

d. In a rural community

2. What was unusual about how Sam approached his interview at Seton Hall?

a. He had George and Rameck drill him with a list of possible questions he could be asked.

b. He came prepared with a list of questions to ask the interviewer.

c. He came to the interview dressed as a doctor.

d. He brought along a video bio of himself to leave with the interviewer.

3. What was the dilemma Rameck was faced with concerning college?

a. He did not know whether or not he would be able to afford college.

b. His mother became very ill and he wanted to be closer to home.

c. He was offered a rapping recording contract.

d. He was accepted to both Howard University and Seton Hall.

4. What happened to George’s relationship with his girlfriend when he was accepted to college?

a. They decided to get engaged.

b. They decided to try to keep dating long distance.

c. They broke up.

d. She followed him to college.

5. For George’s, Sam’s and Rameck’s parents, what was so historic about the boys’ high school graduation?

a. The three boys were the only members of their immediate families to graduate high school.

b. The three boys were graduating from the same high school their parents had graduated from.

c. The three boys had survived the streets and were planning on going to college and becoming doctors.

d. The three boys were graduating on the 25th anniversary of University High.

Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide

George on Peer Pressure

Directions: Circle the letter of the best answer to the questions below.

1. What does George say made the biggest impact on his making the right decisions in his life?

a. Choosing the right types of people to hang out with – guys who wanted to do the right thing

b. Staying focused on his goal to be a dentist

c. Support from his family

d. Good teachers who encouraged, challenged, and motivated him

2. What was George’s strategy for selecting friends?

a. He hung out with older boys his brother was friends with.

b. He hung out with younger boys who looked up to him and stayed out of trouble.

c. He hung out with family members.

d. He hung out with younger boys who were the most likely to end up on the streets, because George was hoping to be a good influence on them.

3. Of the three boys, which of them managed to stay out of trouble?

a. Rameck

b. Sam

c. George

d. Sam and George

4. Which of the following does George NOT attribute to his being able to stay out of trouble during high school?

a. His third grade teacher

b. His church

c. His involvement in school and community activities

d. His hard-working mother

5. What advice does George give for being able to stand up for what is right even when those around you think differently?

a. Hang out with guys you trust who share your same values.

b. Stay focused on your goals, keeping in mind that what others think about you is not nearly as important as how you think about yourself.

c. When a situation makes you uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to walk away.

d. Even though you may be unpopular for a moment, people will ultimately respect you more for standing up for what you believe in rather than simply following the crowd.

Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide Cycle 4

George – “Rap”

1. How did Rameck and George begin their involvement with rap music their freshman year at Seton Hall?

a. They went to a Tupac concert and were inspired to become rappers themselves.

b. They started challenging their neighbors in their dorm to rapping competitions.

c. They started their own rap group.

d. They participated in amateur night at a local club and received the best response from the audience of any of the other performers.

2. Who was the third member of the rap group Rameck and George ending up forming?

a. P.S., a seasoned rapper on campus

b. Sam

c. Faith Evans

d. Sean Combs

3. Who did Rameck and George ask to manage their rap group?

a. P.S., a seasoned rapper on campus

b. Sam

c. Faith Evans

d. Sean Combs

4. How did the group end up getting free studio time to record?

a. A sound engineer heard them and thought they deserved to have their material recorded.

b. Faith Evans was starting to get big and used her influence to get them the free time.

c. A friend of theirs had a boyfriend who knew the right people and was able to hook them up with free time.

d. Sean Combs had just started his own recording business and was looking for new acts.

5. When the group decided to have photos taken to include with the package they were sending to record companies, where did they decide to shoot the pictures?

a. In their dorm room

b. In a classroom

c. In downtown Newark where they grew up

d. On the upper deck of the student parking lot

6. How many responses did the group get from distributing the twenty packages in NYC?

a. 10

b. 7

c. 5

d. 0

7. Where did the group have their first big performance?

a. At a hip-hop nightclub

b. At a private party

c. At a dance at Seton Hall

d. At High School University for prom

8. Which of the following artists does George mention having contact with as a result of his rap music?

a. Biggie Smalls

b. Puffy

c. Faith Evans

d. Tupac

9. What ended up being the biggest hindrance to furthering their rap career?

a. They couldn’t afford the studio time without quitting school.

b. Rapping was taking too much time away from their studies.

c. No one really liked their sound.

d. The members of the group each wanted different things.

10. Of the three members of the group, who was the most enthusiastic about trying to make it big?

a. Rameck

b. George

c. Sam

d. P.S.

Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide Cycle 5

George – “Old Ties”

1. When George began dental school in Newark, where did he live?

a. In a dorm on campus

b. In his own apartment

c. In his mother’s apartment

d. With his older brother

2. Why didn’t the boys get the full tuition they had been promised?

a. Their grades weren’t good enough to keep the scholarship.

b. The scholarship fund had been mismanaged.

c. The school’s scholarship budget had to be cut.

d. The full scholarship was deferred to students who were more eligible in terms of academic performance and financial need.

3. How did George obtain the $1,000 testing fee he needed in order to take the state licensing exam for dentist school?

a. He borrowed it from Sam and Rameck.

b. He borrowed it from Faith Evans.

c. He sold his car.

d. He borrowed it from his mother.

4. What happened to George as a result of a lapse in his “street smarts” which he attributes to his time spent at Seton Hall?

a. He was robbed at gun point.

b. His car was stolen.

c. He was stabbed.

d. He was arrested for buying a stolen stereo system.

5. What types of people were always hanging out at George’s apartment?

a. Other medical students who needed a quiet place to study

b. Old friends of his who needed an alternative place to the streets to hang out

c. Just Sam and Rameck

d. Thugs who needed a place to stash their drugs and weapons

6. Which of the following was NOT a birthday present that the guys gave each other?

a. A nice leather phone book

b. A new alarm clock

c. A trip to Atlantic City to gamble

d. New speakers

7. Where were Sam and Rameck during George’s senior year at Seton Hall?

a. At Seton Hall with him

b. At Rutgers, starting medical school a year early

c. Rameck was pursuing a solo rap career in New York City and Sam and tagged along as his manager.

d. At Howard University

8. When studying for tests, what material did George focus on in his notes?

a. Everything

b. Only the material covered in the book

c. Only what the professor wrote on the board

d. The material the professor spent the most time discussing in class

9. What was a studying technique George had for preparing for the first state board exam?

a. He would take notes on index cards and carry them around in the pockets of his cargo pants so he had them with him to study whenever he had a spare moment.

b. He bought study guides and took sample tests.

c. He attended study sessions with other medical students.

d. He would read over his notes every night before he went to sleep.

10. What prompted George to kick out the three other guys who were staying at his place?

a. One of them made over $300 of long distance calls but would never own up to it.

b. He needed peace and quiet so he could focus on his board exams.

c. They started selling drugs from his apartment.

d. He got complaints from other tenants about the noise level in his apartment

11. Who helped George pick out his first car and teach him to drive a standard transmission?

a. Rameck

b. Sam

c. George’s mother

d. George’s brother Garland

12. What skill that sons typically learn from their fathers did George not know how to do by the time he was in med school?

a. Tie a necktie

b. Shine his shoes

c. Change a tire

d. Change his oil

Name: _______________________

Date: __________ Block: _______

The Pact – Reading Guide Cycle 6

George – “Graduation”

1. What made George rethink joining the Air Force as a dentist?

a. The money was not good.

b. He wanted to be closer to Sam and Rameck.

c. He didn’t want to have to face the rigors of boot camp after eight years in college.

d. He got engaged.

2. In what city did the guys end up doing their residencies?

a. New York

b. D.C.

c. Newark

d. Baltimore

3. What was unusual about the recognition Sam, Rameck, and George received upon graduating medical school?

a. They were interviewed for a newspaper article that made the front page.

b. They all three graduated in the top of their class.

c. They all three earned top scores on their board exam.

d. They had streets in Newark named after them.

4. Who at George’s graduation did he say inspired him to work hard throughout college?

a. His Aunt Lestine who had gone back to college and excelled when she was in her early forties and had a family to support

b. His mother who had worked hard all her life to give her son a better life

c. His third grade teacher who had instilled in him a love of learning

d. Dr. Valerie Noble, a guidance counselor from his high school who had always believed in him and encouraged him.

5. Where did the guys go on vacation after graduating?

a. Cancun

b. Miami

c. San Francisco

d. Bahamas

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