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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 did the judge rule on the case between Crippenopoulos and Leslie?

2. Why did Gerald's mother object to getting him a donkey?

3. From whom did Mother get the donkey she gave to Gerald?

4. What time did Gerald get home after his fishing trip with Taki?

5. Which creature was most interesting to the narrator when he first settles into his new residence?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who was Sally? Where did Sally come from? How did the name Sally come to be? Why was Gerald excited to have Sally as a member of the household?

2. Who is Taki Thanatos? How did Gerald meet him? What did the two share in common? Where did Taki want to take Gerald?

3. Who was Kokino? What does Kokino mean in Greek? What did Kokino and Gerald do together?

4. What is a China-mark moth? What makes this moth unique?

5. What was the set pattern Theo and Gerald had established for their excursions? What was the first thing they did when settling into a new spot?

6. What was the "Bootle-bumtrinket?" How did Gerald get it and what did he do with it?

7. How did Leslie react to settling into their new home? What did he set about to do while in Corfu? How did his mother react to this plan?

8. Where did Taki take Gerald to catch fish? What unusual method did Taki use to catch fish? What strange fish did Taki catch that fascinated Gerald? What did Gerald learn about the fish Taki caught?

9. Why did George introduce Gerald to Theo Stephanides? What did Gerald hope to learn from Theo?

10. Who did Mother hire to be Gerald's tutor? How did the two initially get along? What did his tutor do that changed Gerald's perspective on learning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The opening chapter, "Conversations" gives the reader important information about the Durrell family and the chapters to come. Who is introduced in this first chapter, and what is the "conversation" about? How does this chapter relate to the rest of the book?

Essay Topic 2

What is a memoir? What specific qualities separate memoir from autobiography? What qualities are inherent in a memoir?

Essay Topic 3

Describe Mother and her different roles in the memoir. She is a mother and the keeper of the Durrell family. What else does the reader know about her from reading the memoir? How does she relate to others?

(see the answer keys)

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