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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. When Hyeonseo's Uncle Jung-gil tells her that Kim Jong-Il had not been born in Korea, where does he say Kim Jong-il had been born instead?

2. How many North Korea-operated restaurants exist in Shanghai, according to Hyeonseo's account?

3. What result of a medical check-up convinces Hyeonseo that she is about to die?

4. How does Hyeonseo find out that she will not be allowed to leave the salon even if she decides not to take the job?

5. What type of food is the nooroongji that Mr. Ahn cooks for all of his North Korean visitors?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Hyeonseo compare and contrast the two countries of North Korea and China through description of each country's restaurants?

2. How is the theme of deception as a means of survival portrayed within Hyeonseo's escape from her job at the men's salon?

3. What does Hyeonseo describe as "the cloud" (160) in her sky once she gets settled in her new job in Xita, gets her driving license, lives in her own apartment, and feels more confident in general?

4. What major piece of information does Hyeonseo find out from her regular waitress at Pyongyang Okryugwan and how does the information demonstrate the theme of social stratification?

5. What secret does Hyeonseo keep from Geun-soo, though she does tell him that she is North Korean?

6. How does Hyeonseo characterize Min-ho's view of money and how his views represent those of all North Koreans?

7. What emotion does Hyeonseo say she feels after her mother tells her over the phone that she should not return to North Korea?

8. What job does Hyeonseo get after receiving her new piece of Chinese identification and how does the situation demonstrate the power inherent in proven legitimacy?

9. What is symbolized by Hyeonseo's "fashionable new shoes" (101) that she wears on her journey into China?

10. How does Hyeonseo feel every time she walks into the Shanghai restaurant called Pyongyang Okryugwan and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

After her forced separation from her family, Hyeonseo builds many relationships with others that resemble family relationships. Choose three people with whom Hyeonseo builds these familial relationships, describe the circumstances surrounding the bonds she forms with each person, and discuss how these relationships fuel the author's message about the definition of family.

Essay Topic 2

The memoir does not shy away from including graphic and disturbing details when describing the horrors inflicted on the North Korean people by the ruling regime, such as the scene in which Hyeonseo witnesses a public hanging. Write a persuasive essay in which you argue for or against the use of this book in schools as a means to illuminate the ongoing human rights violations happening in North Korea.

Essay Topic 3

The memoir is littered with the use of sensory details to create a vivid picture of the many different places Hyeonseo finds herself once she has crossed the Yalu River into China. Discuss the author's purpose in including the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and tactile sensations of Hyeonseo's experiences.

(see the answer keys)

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