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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. Why does Laila agree to marry Rasheed?
(a) Because she is in love with him.
(b) Because her father is forcing her to.
(c) Because she is ugly and worries no one else will marry her.
(d) To hide the illegitimacy of her pregnancy.

2. Where does Laila plan to take a bus to from Kabul when she runs away in Chapter 34?
(a) Punjab.
(b) Abbottabad.
(c) Mardan.
(d) Peshawar.

3. When had Mariam first heard about the Taliban, according to the narrator in Chapter 37?
(a) In July of 1995.
(b) In October of 1994.
(c) In September of 1997.
(d) In August of 1998.

4. What does Mariam tell Laila she will NOT be in Chapter 31?
(a) She will not be the cook.
(b) She will not be Laila's servant.
(c) She will not be a thief.
(d) She will not be Rasheed's wife.

5. Where does Rasheed take Laila and Mariam to see the Taliban when they arrive in Kabul in Chapter 37?
(a) Gardens of Babur.
(b) Chaman-e-Hozori.
(c) Panjshir.
(d) Pashtunistan Square.

Short Answer Questions

1. What language does Tariq say he learned to speak while he was in prison?

2. How many women share the prison cell with Mariam in Chapter 47?

3. Who is the "cantankerous cook" that works at the hotel in Murree in Chapter 48?

4. How many years did Tariq spend in prison in Pakistan?

5. What does Abdul Sharif say his wife's name is in Chapter 28?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe the ending of the novel? Do you think the novel ends on a hopeful note? Why or why not?

2. When does Chapter 41 take place? How is the atmosphere of Afghanistan described at this time?

3. How are the circumstances and lives of Laila, Tariq, and their children described in Chapter 51?

4. How are the themes of suffering and grief illustrated in Chapter 28?

5. What symbolism and metaphors are explored through the death of Rasheed in Chapter 45?

6. What are the consequences of Mariam's and Laila's capture in Chapter 36?

7. What choice does Laila face in Chapter 29? What circumstances dictate Laila's decision?

8. Why does Mariam attempt contacting Jalil in Chapter 41? What does she discover?

9. What major political events are detailed in Chapter 49? What are Laila's thoughts on these events?

10. In Chapter 49, Laila and Tariq have their first argument as a married couple. What do they argue about?

(see the answer keys)

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