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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At what time does the Count awaken in the beginning of Book 3: "1930"?
(a) 6:30.
(b) 5:30.
(c) 8:30.
(d) 7:30.

2. What Shakespearean play does the author allude to when describing the Count's appointment in Book 1: "An Appointment"?
(a) Twelfth Night.
(b) Henry V.
(c) Hamlet.
(d) Romeo and Juliet.

3. Of the ballroom, the narrator says in Book 1: "An Assembly," "Of course, there is now much more canvas than cashmere in the room, more gray than gold. But is the patch on the elbow really that much different from" what?
(a) "The epaulette on the shoulder?"
(b) "The sceptor and the crown?"
(c) "The crown on the head?"
(d) "The suit and tie?"

4. The Count tells Nina in Book 1: "Anyway..." that "setting aside the study of the liberal arts," "the rules of being a princess would begin with" what?
(a) "A perception of thought."
(b) "A refinement of manners."
(c) "A great wealth."
(d) "An aristocratic heritage."

5. By what affectionate name does the Count refer to the grand dining room off the lobby at the Hotel Metropole?
(a) The Piazza.
(b) The Shalyapin.
(c) The Idlehour.
(d) The Boyarsky.

6. On what date was Nikolai Bukharin "outmaneuvered by Stalin and ousted from the Poliburo," according to the narrator in Book 3: "Arachne's Art"?
(a) January 3, 1928.
(b) February 25, 1927.
(c) June 12, 1887.
(d) November 17, 1929.

7. On what day of the week does the Count go for his weekly trim at the hotel barber?
(a) Thursdays.
(b) Tuesdays.
(c) Fridays.
(d) Mondays.

8. Which of the objects dropped from the ballroom balcony is described as "the Count's personal favorite" in Book 2: "1926: Adieu"?
(a) The egg.
(b) The pineapple.
(c) The coin.
(d) The teacup.

9. In Book 3: "An Afternoon Assignation," the narrator states, "But art is the most unnatural minion of the state. Not only is it created by fanciful people who tire of repetition even more quickly than they tire of being told what to do, it is also vexingly" what?
(a) "Stringent."
(b) "Articulate."
(c) "Ambiguous."
(d) "Arbitrary."

10. What does Count Rostov give as his current address in the court transcript that appears before the opening of Book 1?
(a) Suite 423 at the Hotel Metropol.
(b) Suite 119 at the Hotel Metropol.
(c) Suite 623 at the Hotel Metropol.
(d) Suite 317 at the Hotel Metropol.

11. In Book 3: "Arachne's Art," the author uses a simile in describing Emile. It is stated, "If the kitchen of the Boyarsky is an orchestra and Emile its conductor, then his chopping knife is" what?
(a) "The strings."
(b) "The baton."
(c) "The tuba."
(d) "The woodwinds."

12. What is Mr. Halecki's first name?
(a) Jozef.
(b) Fyodor.
(c) Emile.
(d) Petya.

13. Who is manning the front desk at the Hotel Metropol when the Count arrives in Book 1: "1922: An Ambassador"?
(a) Emile.
(b) Pavel.
(c) Arkady.
(d) Fyodor.

14. In what province does the Count tell Anna he spent a good part of his youth in Book 2: "1923: An Actress, an Apparition, an Apiary"?
(a) Nizhny Novgorod.
(b) Primosky Krai.
(c) Zabaykalsky Krai.
(d) Irkutsk Oblast.

15. What bridge does the Count describe Princess Golitsyn's carriage crossing in his story to Nina in Book 1: "Anyway..."?
(a) The Lomonosov Bridge.
(b) The Russky Bridge.
(c) The Zhivopisny Bridge.
(d) The Palace Bridge.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is the baron that managed the Hotel Metropole when the Count's godfather was involved in a duel?

2. What is Anna Urbanova's profession?

3. Whose magical ball of thread led Theseas safely from the lair of the Minotaur, according to the narrator in Book 1: "Around and About"?

4. What activity does the narrator describe the Count doing in detail in Book 3: "1930"?

5. What restaurant at the Hotel Metropole is described in Book 1: "An Acquaintanceship" as "that fabled retreat on the second floor"?

(see the answer keys)

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