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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. During the train ride, what happens?

2. How long does Yoko stay in the hospital tent?

3. Why does Hideyo fail the written test for the military?

4. How many days has the family been walking the tracks by the end of Chapter 3?

5. What does Ko see that makes her want the family to leave Seoul?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Which of his sisters do you think Hideyo is more like and why?

3. What war-time preparations are being made by Yoko's family in Chapter 1?

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

5. 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?

6. What scene do Yoko, Ko, and mother encounter when they arrive at the train station?

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

8. 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?

9. Why is mother upset that Hideyo wants to join the army?

10. Why do you think Hideyo and his friends make a plan to reunite in five years at the Tokyo Bridge?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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

Essay Topic 2

Although the Kawashima family loses virtually all of their possessions including their home, what do they never lose despite their circumstances? Cite three examples and explain.

Essay Topic 3

How do the main characters deal with the tragedies and atrocities inherently related to war?

(see the answer keys)

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