View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Section 11: Chapter 13, Nadira recalls how who was praised in Dhaka for being a great swimmer and for his strong lungs?

2. When Nadira asks Aisha why she skipped her interview, Aisha confesses she was what, in Section 10: Chapter 12?

3. Where does Auntie work every morning in Section 9: Chapter 11?

4. Uncle and Auntie had called Ma to tell her that Nadira had what, in the beginning of Section 12: Chapter 15?

5. Who argues with a female officer about using her cell phone in Section 8: Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Aisha close her valedictorian speech in Section 14: Chapter 17?

2. Who joins Nadira's family at the police station in Section 8: Chapter 10? What is the reaction to his presence?

3. What does Aisha admit to Nadira when she joins her in the playground in Section 13: Chapter 16?

4. How does Aisha begin her valedictorian speech in Section 14: Chapter 17?

5. How does Nadira describe the setting of the apartment in Section 9: Chapter 11? What do Nadira and Aisha do to help the situation?

6. What is the treatment like that Nadira's family receives at the police station in Section 8: Chapter 10?

7. How does Nadira feel about being included with Aisha's friends at school in Section 9: Chapter 11?

8. What uproar do the Hossains find when they arrive home from the park in Section 13: Chapter 16?

9. How does Aisha feel upon arriving for her interview at Barnard in Section 10: Chapter 12?

10. Who does Nadira meet on the Barnard campus during Aisha's interview in Section 10: Chapter 12? What does she think of the campus?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the theme of moral goodness in the novel. How is this theme related through Abba's past and his brother's death? How does Nadira represent this theme through her actions?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the impact of 9/11 on illegal immigrants in the United States. What did the Patriot Act include which caused panic amongst these immigrants? How is this panic reflected in the novel? What were the numbers of immigrants who fled to Canada during this period?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the history of Bangladesh, and how this history relates to Nadira's family in the novel. How does Nadira describe the lives of her ancestors? What drove her great-grandparents to Dhaka? What was the principal impetus for Bengalis to immigrate to the United States?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 938 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample