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

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Yoko's family survive?

2. What does Ko call Yoko?

3. What job do Hideyo and his friends take?

4. During the train ride, what happens?

5. Why does Mother ties strings to Yoko's and Ko's wrists?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe Yoko's emotions as she, Ko, and mother head for Japan.

2. Why do you think Hideyo and his friends take extra care in handling the bodies of women or young girls when they are packing up bodies for disposal?

3. Why do the students perform at the hospital?

4. Why do you think "Hideyo talked to himself in his heart"?

5. Under what circumstances does Yoko think Ko is being mean?

6. Describe Ko's continued ascent to leader of the family.

7. Do you think Yoko would have made it this far without Ko?

8. For the first time, Ko cries as the family sets sail towards Japan. Why do you think she cries?

9. If you were to give Chapter 2 a title, what would it be, and why?

10. What evidence is there of Ko's survival skills and instinct in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What qualities and character traits does Yoko possess that enabled her to survive her ordeal? Compare and contrast these traits with those possessed by Ko and Hideyo. Based on what you know of their parents, which parent do you think each sibling takes after?

Essay Topic 2

Upon learning that her story would be published, Yoko said, "I competed against life and death when young. And I won." Choose three critical turning points in the story in which Yoko had to compete "against life and death" and describe how she emerged victorious.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the role of honor in the book.

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