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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. The narrator states that Leila's only brother would have been diagnosed years later as having which condition?

2. How many miles away from Istanbul is the historic city of Van, where Leila's parents live?

3. In what year did Binnaz's brother return from fighting in the Korean War?

4. What name did Leila use when referring to her father Haroun?

5. Out of what type of wood did Haroun carve a cradle for the child whose arrival is portrayed in "Five Minutes"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the setting of Leila's birth?

2. What major conflict did Jameelah have with her family after the death of her mother?

3. Who was Tarkan?

4. How did Leila feel about the metropolis of Istanbul during her childhood?

5. What is the symbolism of the toenail polish in the chapter entitled "Nalan's Story"?

6. In what way is the theme of courage depicted within the chapter entitled "Three Minutes"?

7. Which event described in "One Minute" was later considered by Binnaz, Leila's biological mother, to be the moment that "had debilitated her forever" (33)?

8. What does the red belt symbolize within the chapter entitled "Six Minutes"?

9. What circumstances left Leila alone in her house with Tarkan and at the mercy of Uncle's predatory sexual abuse?

10. Discuss a particular detail in the prologue entitled "The End" that communicates an element of Leila's personality.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Read a lengthy interview with Shafak. Write an essay explaining the connection between several of Shafak’s answers and a major theme presented within the text of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World.

Essay Topic 2

Perform a biographical criticism of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by researching Shafak's life and work. Be sure to create a strong and specific claim focused on this particular book and then support that claim with quotes from the book and from your research of Shafak.

Essay Topic 3

Explicate the theme of hope within 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. What is Shafak’s message regarding hope and how do you know?

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