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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. Where are Yoko, Ko, and Mother located for most of Chapter 2?

2. Which family member is injured by an explosion in Chapter 3?

3. Why do the soldiers quickly leave the boxcar in which Yoko, Ko, and Mother are located?

4. What does Ko give the man who helps them get aboard the train?

5. What skill does Hideyo use to convince others that he is Korean?

Short Essay Questions

1. Early in Chapter 5, Ko wishes that Yoko had been killed. Do you think she still feels this way at the end of the chapter? Why or why not?

2. Why does Hideyo think that the Korean Communists want to find his father?

3. The Korean officials are quite strict about letting only 100 people on the boat. One official says, "the rule is the rule. That is what your government always said to us." Why do you think the soldier delights in saying this to the hundreds of people waiting in line?

4. What is the symbolism of Yoko's Mt. Fuji paperweight?

5. Why is the Kawashima family, of Japanese origin, living in Korea?

6. Why do you think Hideyo returns home to retrieve the family photo album?

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

8. Yoko's family has little time to pack when they left their home. They have to decide between items necessary for survival and items which are of sentimental value. What item of sentimental is revealed in this chapter and what is its significance?

9. In what ways is Yoko having to grow up quickly in Chapter 2?

10. Why does mother not want to look as the train passes their house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ko and Yoko seem to escape or change their fate on many different occasions. Cite three specific opportunities, experiences, or events which allow them to continue living and change their circumstances.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the role of honor in the book.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Yoko titled her essay "Understanding?" Do you think a different title would have been more fitting? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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