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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. According to Funko, what has become almost a sickness for Miyake?
(a) Earthquakes.
(b) Bonfires.
(c) Pain.
(d) Shopping.

2. Who is Shimao?
(a) Komura's wife.
(b) A hotel worker.
(c) Keiko's friend.
(d) Sasaki's sister.

3. What had vanished when Yoshiya woke up?
(a) His mother.
(b) His blankets.
(c) His dignity.
(d) His clock and glasses.

4. What did Shimao and Komura watch on television?
(a) A news special about the earthquake.
(b) A documentary about UFOs.
(c) A movie about a man going through a divorce.
(d) A show about missing women.

5. What item is Miyake afraid of?
(a) Microwave.
(b) Oven.
(c) Refrigerator.
(d) Washing machine.

6. Who does Yoshiya live with?
(a) Junko.
(b) Mr. Tabata.
(c) His friend.
(d) His mother.

7. What did Yoshiya's ex-girlfriend used to call him?
(a) Big Worm.
(b) Super-frog.
(c) Shiny.
(d) Crusher.

8. Who wrote "To Build a Fire"?
(a) Charles Dickens.
(b) Jane Austen.
(c) Ernest Hemingway.
(d) Jack London.

9. According to Miyake, what can reveal the inside of a person?
(a) Devastation.
(b) Water.
(c) Love.
(d) Fire.

10. What best describes Keisuke?
(a) A writer.
(b) A bartender.
(c) A surfer.
(d) A teacher.

11. Where did Yoshiya's mother go?
(a) Kansai.
(b) Tokyo.
(c) Hokkaido.
(d) Yamagata.

12. What is the perspective of this short story?
(a) Third-person subjective.
(b) First-person.
(c) Second-person.
(d) Third-person omniscient.

13. According to Komura, what does driving in the small Subaru feel like?
(a) Being imprisoned in a washing machine.
(b) Digging his own grave.
(c) The weight of his unhappiness.
(d) His marriage.

14. Where did Miyake invite Junko?
(a) The mall.
(b) A restaurant.
(c) The beach.
(d) The site of the earthquake.

15. According to Yoshiya, who is his father?
(a) His mother's best friend.
(b) Mr. Tabata.
(c) His mother's obstetrician.
(d) His baseball coach.

Short Answer Questions

1. What animal was Shimao afraid of in her story?

2. How long did Komura's wife spend in front of the television after the earthquake?

3. How old was Yoshiya when his mother told him about his father?

4. Which character claims to feel "completely empty" (42)?

5. How old is Miyake?

(see the answer keys)

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