Havana Rhythm Quiz Skeleton
Havana Rhythm Quiz
Refugee: Chapter 2 (Isabel, Pages 7–11)
1994
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Select the best answer for each question based only on the events in Chapter 2 (pages 7–11) of *Refugee*.
- What instrument does Isabel play that she describes as having a "soul" she is trying to hear?
A) Acoustic Guitar
B) Brass Trumpet
C) Conga Drums
D) Wooden Claves
- What is the name of the "mysterious, hidden heartbeat" of Cuban music that Isabel struggles to hear?
A) Salsa
B) Mambo
C) Clave
D) Son
- What is the name of the broad roadway and seawall where Isabel walks and plays her music?
A) The Prado
B) The Malecón
C) The Riviera
D) The Plaza
- Why did Cuba enter the "Special Period," causing extreme hunger and poverty for Isabel's family?
A) A massive hurricane destroyed all the sugar and tobacco crops.
B) The Soviet Union collapsed and stopped sending aid and food to Cuba.
C) The United States declared a new war and blockaded the island.
D) A new government took power and confiscated everyone's property.
- On page 8, Isabel describes the food shortages during the "Special Period." Based on the context, what does the word rationing mean?
A) Selling extra luxury items to tourists to make money.
B) Limiting and controlling the amount of food or goods people can have.
C) Giving away free supplies to any citizen who asks for them.
D) Creating new recipes to make food taste better during a crisis.
- What is the nickname for the blue-uniformed police who monitor the streets of Havana?
A) Blue Jackets
B) Shadow Guards
C) Nickel and Dimers
D) The Iron Fists
- What important detail is revealed about Isabel’s mother, Teresa, on page 7?
A) She is secretly planning to leave Cuba on her own.
B) She is seven months pregnant with a new baby.
C) She is a talented singer who performs at the local plaza.
D) She has decided to join the police force to get more food.
- Why is Isabel's father, Papi, so afraid of being caught by the police during the riot?
A) He is carrying illegal American money in his pocket.
B) He has already been to prison once for trying to leave the country.
C) He is a secret leader of the protest group.
D) He is afraid the police will take his wife to the hospital.
- When the riot on the Malecón becomes violent, what causes the police batons to start swinging?
A) A protester throws a rock through a window of a dollar store.
B) The tourists start fighting with the Cuban citizens.
C) The army arrives and orders the police to attack the crowd.
D) Papi starts shouting and challenges a policeman to a fight.
- Who is Luis Castillo, and how does he assist Isabel's family on page 11?
A) He is a local fisherman who lets them hide on his boat.
B) He is a doctor who helps Lito carry the injured Papi home.
C) He is Iván's brother and a policeman who saves Papi and tells them to run.
D) He is a government official who promises to forgive Papi's crimes.
Havana Rhythm Key Skeleton
Havana Rhythm Key
Teacher Answer Key & Guide
REFUGEE
- Correct Answer: B
Brass Trumpet — Isabel's connection to music is her emotional core.
- Correct Answer: C
Clave — The rhythmic heartbeat of Cuba.
- Correct Answer: B
The Malecón — The famous roadway that borders the sea in Havana.
- Correct Answer: B
Soviet Union collapse — Historical context that explains the extreme poverty of the era.
- Correct Answer: B
Limiting certain goods — Contextual definition based on the "Special Period" description.
- Correct Answer: C
Nickel and Dimers — The slang name for the police patrolling the Malecón.
- Correct Answer: B
Seven months pregnant — This detail (p. 7) emphasizes the vulnerability of Isabel's family.
- Correct Answer: B
Already been to prison — Papi's history of incarceration drives his fear of the riot police.
- Correct Answer: A
Rock through window — The breaking of a dollar store window (p. 10) triggers the police response.
- Correct Answer: C
Iván's brother/Policeman — Luis intervenes at the end of Chapter 2 (p. 11) to save Papi.
Thematic Discussion Prompts
- Music as Identity: Why is it significant that Isabel's main conflict is not being able to "hear" her country's rhythm?
- The Moral Gray Area: Luis Castillo is a policeman who serves a government Papi hates, yet he saves Papi. How does this complicate the idea of "villains" in the book?
- The "Special Period": How do the historical details on pages 7–11 establish the "why" behind the family's desperation?
Havana Rhythm Quiz Revised Document
Havana Rhythm Quiz
Refugee (2017): Ch. 2 (Pages 7–11) — Version A
1994
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Select the best answer for each question based on Chapter 2 (pages 7–11) of the 2017 edition of *Refugee*.
- What instrument does Isabel play that she describes as having a "soul" she is trying to hear?
A) Acoustic Guitar
B) Brass Trumpet
C) Conga Drums
D) Wooden Claves
- What is the name of the "mysterious, hidden heartbeat" of Cuban music that Isabel struggles to hear?
A) Salsa
B) Mambo
C) Clave
D) Son
- What is the name of the broad roadway and seawall where Isabel walks and plays her music?
A) The Prado
B) The Malecón
C) The Riviera
D) The Plaza
- Why did Cuba enter the "Special Period," causing extreme hunger and poverty for Isabel's family?
A) A massive hurricane destroyed all the sugar and tobacco crops.
B) The Soviet Union collapsed and stopped sending aid and food to Cuba.
C) The United States declared a new war and blockaded the island.
D) A new government took power and confiscated everyone's property.
- On page 8, Isabel describes the food shortages during the "Special Period." Based on the context, what does the word rationing mean?
A) Selling extra luxury items to tourists to make money.
B) Limiting and controlling the amount of food or goods people can have.
C) Giving away free supplies to any citizen who asks for them.
D) Creating new recipes to make food taste better during a crisis.
Havana Rhythm Quiz
Refugee (2017): Ch. 2 (Pages 7–11) — Version B
1994
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Select the best answer for each question based on Chapter 2 (pages 7–11) of the 2017 edition of *Refugee*.
- Why did Cuba enter the "Special Period," causing extreme hunger and poverty for Isabel's family?
A) A massive hurricane destroyed all the sugar and tobacco crops.
B) The Soviet Union collapsed and stopped sending aid and food to Cuba.
C) The United States declared a new war and blockaded the island.
D) A new government took power and confiscated everyone's property.
- What instrument does Isabel play that she describes as having a "soul" she is trying to hear?
