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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What important function did the residents think Boori Ma did for them?

2. How old is Shoba?

3. What does Boori Ma carry on the end of her Sari?

4. How old is Mrs. Das?

5. Mr. Kapasi thinks the Das couple acts like what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unfortunate incident occurs on the trip to the hills of Udayagiri?

2. What do Shukumar and Shoba do the first night the power is turned off?

3. Why does the Das family tour take a trip into the hills of Udayagiri?

4. What happens to Boori Ma when the wives of the building decide to make improvements while the Dalals are out of town?

5. What does Lilia do with the candy after Mr. Pirzada returns to Dacca?

6. What secret does Mina Das reveal to Mr. Kapasi?

7. What problems do the two new basins purchased by Mr. Dalal cause in Boori Ma's building?

8. Why is the electricity being turned off in Shoba and Shukumar's neighborhood in "A Temporary Matter"?

9. What devastating secret does Shukumar tell Shoba during the telling game to hurt her?

10. What would Mr. Kapasi like to be doing for work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the baby in "A Temporary Matter" a metaphor for the marriage of Shoba and Shukumar?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss how the characters of The Interpreter of Maladies encompass both the best and worst aspects of American and Indian cultures.

Essay Topic 3

What different ways is a sense of community viewed in the stories set in India versus the stories set in the U.S.? What importance does community play in all the stories?

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