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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The ruins of what chateau do they see on their bicycle ride?
(a) the chateau Voltair lived in for a while when he wrote his books
(b) the chateau of the richest man ever to have lived in Provence
(c) the chateau of the Marquis de Sade
(d) Napoleon Bonaparte's Provencal chateau

2. How many people were on the planting team?
(a) 7 under the direction of Beauchier
(b) 6 under the direction of Christian
(c) 4 under the direction of Massot
(d) 3 under the direction Peter Mayle

3. How does the French housewife differ from others when she goes to market?
(a) She looks over everything that is for sale first before buying.
(b) She asks if there are any samples to taste.
(c) She steals anything she can.
(d) She squeezes, sniffs and pokes the produce.

4. Why did Christian turn down the job offer?
(a) he had too many other jobs to do
(b) the job wasn't challenging enough
(c) The work had to be done in too short a time.
(d) the pay wasn't enough

5. What did the local advertising industry do to influence and attract people?
(a) had men walk up and down main street with sandwich boards ad signs
(b) sponsored a contest
(c) put catchy ads in the newspaper
(d) put flyers under windshield wipers

6. What was the specialty of the hostess where the Mayles were invited for dinner?
(a) A casserole of rabbit crivet
(b) stuffed roast pig
(c) cheddar quiche
(d) leg of lamb

7. Because it was so still in the valley in February what did Monsieur Massot say one could hear?
(a) a cat purring from a distance of 20 feet
(b) the snow falling
(c) the flowers coming up under the snow
(d) a mouse fart

8. A car full of tourists from what country wanted to picnic on the Mayles' property?
(a) England
(b) Switzerland
(c) Germany
(d) Ireland

9. Lengthy discussions were held between which two people during the planting?
(a) the two people farthest away from each other
(b) one of the men and his wife
(c) two people working side by side
(d) the two closest friends

10. Where do the Mayles have lunch in Aix?
(a) Chez Gu
(b) Le Chateau
(c) Les Quatre Saisons
(d) La Giraffe

11. What make of car was in the first automobile accident Peter encountered in Provence?
(a) a Mercedes
(b) a Jaguar
(c) a Peugeot
(d) a Volkswagen

12. What occupation does Tony, the Englishman , have?
(a) He's a banker
(b) He's an accountant
(c) He's a lawyer.
(d) He's an executive in advertising

13. What possession does Tony like to flaunt?
(a) his bulging Filoflex
(b) his hand-tailored suit
(c) his Nikon camera
(d) his Italian leather shoes

14. How far did they have to move the stone table to get it into the courtyard?
(a) 500 feet
(b) 12 yards
(c) 15 yards
(d) 750 feet

15. Who actually does the work of cleaning the green fuzz from the Mayles' pool?
(a) Bernard
(b) Gaston
(c) Faustin
(d) Claude

Short Answer Questions

1. Where do the people of Provence go every Sunday?

2. Who started calling the Mayles in February?

3. What produced a noise like nuts and bolts clattering in a tin?

4. What do the Mayles do immediately when they return home from their bicycle trip?

5. How are the truffles which the Mayles eat prepared?

(see the answer keys)

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