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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. On one of his solo adventures, where did Gerald find a water-spider he brought home to study?

2. How did Gerald convince his mother to allow him to go fishing with Taki?

3. How did the water-spider manage to live underwater?

4. What did fishermen use to calm the waters around their small boats?

5. How did China-mark moths get their name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What creature did Gerald discover on an afternoon trek to the lake alone? Why was this creature especially important to Gerald? What was unique about this creature?

2. Who was the first friend the family made upon arriving on the island of Corfu? What important help did this new friend give Gerald and his family?

3. What did Gerald bring with him for his nighttime fishing expedition? What did he do with his treasures before returning home? What did Taki give Gerald to appease Mother for the late hour of Gerald's return?

4. What did Gerald do upon catching a seahorse while fishing with Kokino? Where did he find them? How many seahorses did he find in all, and what did he do with them?

5. Who did Margo and Gerald discover lived on Mouse Island? How did they first discover this person? How did they eventually appease this inhabitant's ire?

6. Who was Sven? How did he come upon the Durrell family? What was Sven's unusual talent that drove the family crazy? What did Gerald learn Sven had in common with him?

7. 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?

8. Why did the narrator, Gerald, and his family go to Greece? Where in Greece did they settle? What details did the narrator give about their 'home away from home'?

9. 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?

10. Where did Gerald go to thank Katarina for giving him Sally? What was happening when Gerald arrived at Katarina's? What did Gerald do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Kralefsky? He is given an opportunity to tell a story in Chapter Nine. What is the story he tells, and why does Gerald doubt the truth of the story?

Essay Topic 2

There are many important scenes in the memoir in which the whole family reacts to something Gerald has done. One is the family's reaction to Pavlo. Another is the description of the turtle on the veranda. By their reactions, the family provides us with important parts of their personalities. Compare and contrast these two important examples of the family reacting to something Gerald has done, and discuss what we learn about the people involved.

Essay Topic 3

Gerald gives detailed descriptions of two customs of the village in which he lives. One is the wedding ceremony, and another childbirth. Describe both of these customs, and how Gerald ends up witnessing them both in his first months on the island.

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