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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Before leaving Mahmoud and his family so they can get some sleep, what item does the boy tell them they must procure before the next leg of their trip?
(a) Flashlights.
(b) A propane stove.
(c) Life jackets.
(d) Batteries.

2. Where does Mahmoud's father keep the family's official papers and their money?
(a) In his wallet.
(b) In a safe deposit box.
(c) Tucked into his pants under his shirt.
(d) Sewn into Waleed's hat.

3. Even though Fidel Castro announces to the Cuban people that they are now free to leave Cuba whenever they want, why is Isabel's mother still especially wary about the trip?
(a) She does not think her ill mother will survive the trip.
(b) She is pregnant.
(c) She believes that Fidel Castro's announcement is a trap.
(d) She worries that the family will starve during the trip.

4. During Isabel's boat journey, her grandfather Lito tells her that she does have family in what part of the world?
(a) Atlanta.
(b) Argentina.
(c) San Diego.
(d) Miami.

5. When Mahmoud's family receives the name of a nearby hotel that "accepts Syrians" (105), why do they not stay there?
(a) It is too expensive.
(b) It is already full of other families sharing rooms.
(c) It is in a dangerous neighborhood.
(d) They cannot find it and eventually give up.

Short Answer Questions

1. Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, most farms in Cuba had been what type of farms?

2. What shared characteristic had bonded the Soviet Union to Cuba prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union?

3. When Josef's ship slows down, causing his father to think that the ship is being turned around, what is the true cause of the change in speed?

4. When the narrative rejoins Josef in 1939, each member of the family is now wearing what item?

5. What item does Josef buy when he sneaks into the dining car?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Josef and the other kids on the ship tour become uneasy when they hear some members of the crew singing "The Horst Wessel Song" (95)?

2. Why does Isabel feel awe in response to the riots in Cuba in addition to fear?

3. Compare and contrast Josef's thoughts about the ship's full speed with Captain Schroeder's comments about the ship's full speed.

4. When Isabel and Ivan are incredulous that Lito had had many chances to leave Cuba over the years and had not done so, what reasons does Lito give for not leaving?

5. Of everyone in Mahmoud's family, who comes the closest to losing his or her life when the apartment is hit by a missile?

6. What is ironic about Josef's feelings following his bar mitzvah?

7. How does Mahmoud feel about invisibility?

8. What is the clave?

9. Why does Mahmoud's family choose Germany as a place to run to when they leave Syria?

10. How does Josef feel about invisibility?

(see the answer keys)

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