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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. After whom is the fictional town of Ramses named?
(a) An Arabic mathematician.
(b) A Dutch pirate.
(c) A German prince.
(d) An Egyptian pharaoh.

2. What does the head cook compliment Karl on?
(a) His discretion.
(b) His physique.
(c) His manners.
(d) His English.

3. Why does the chauffeur ask Karl for money after they arrive at their destination?
(a) Because Robinson promised him a handsome tip if he got to their destination quickly.
(b) Because he will have to pay to clean the car after having Robinson in it.
(c) Because the other lift boys took the money Karl gave them to hire the car with.
(d) Because he had to wait a long time with Robinson before Karl left the hotel.

4. What is the primary focus of the text's description of the scenery that Karl and his companions first travel through during their walk?
(a) Poverty and pollution.
(b) Angry, impatient people.
(c) Vehicles in motion.
(d) Color, smells, and sound.

5. How did one of Brunelda's former servants lose his front tooth?
(a) Brunelda threw a hot water bottle at him.
(b) Brunelda's ex-husband shoved him into a wall.
(c) Delamarche punched him in the face.
(d) He tripped over Brunelda's little dog.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the landlady so reluctant to give Karl and Robinson breakfast to take back to the apartment?

2. What does Karl leave behind in the porter's lodge?

3. Where does Brunelda say that Karl can sleep when he first arrives at the apartment?

4. What does the head cook tell Karl that he does not "seem the type" for?

5. What is the likely intended purpose of the scene with the coffeepot during the morning at the inn?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the interior of Brunelda's apartment.

2. Why does Karl have a hard time sleeping when he is living at the Occidental Hotel?

3. What annoys Karl about finding the salami in his trunk in Chapter IV, "The March to Ramses," and what is the salami's eventual fate?

4. What is ironic about Karl getting in trouble for being away from his lift?

5. Describe Karl's encounter with the policeman in the Ramses suburbs.

6. How does Therese's backstory support the idea that life for immigrants in America is difficult and somewhat dependent on sheer luck?

7. How does the head cook try to soften the blow of Karl's dismissal?

8. How does Karl meet Robinson and Delamarche?

9. How does Karl end up having a conversation with Therese in his room on his first night at the Occidental Hotel?

10. What other locations is the description of the suburban Ramses apartment building meant to evoke, and what is the similarity between these locations?

(see the answer keys)

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