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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 did the owl spend the rest of the night after the commotion in the attic?

2. How did Gerald plan to feed the baby hedgehogs?

3. While Roger and Gerald were watching a red fox cub, what did they see the cub find?

4. What did Mother call Mrs. Haddock before leaving the seance?

5. What did Gerald hear Prue tell Mother about Mrs. Haddock?

Short Essay Questions

1. What kinds of food and drink did Gerald's luncheon with the Countess consist of? How did Gerald feel as he left the Countess' villa to go home?

2. What misadventure did Gerald have on his way to meet Countess Mavrodaki? How did he feel when he arrived at her house? What was her response to his misadventure on the way over?

3. What did Gerald do with his owl when he got home? What name did he give his owl? Where did he place the owl once he had tended to him?

4. What happened to Mother, Larry and the rest of the crew on the yacht ride with Mother? How did Mother react to the event? What was in the letter Captain Creech sent Mother after his departure and how did Mother respond to it?

5. Who arrived at the house in the middle of the night? Where did they come from and why did they come to the villa? How did the family react to their arrival?

6. What was the Talking Head? How did it work?

7. When Margo, Mother, Fan and Prue took the dogs with them shopping, what happened?

8. Who did Gerald and his mother find sitting on their front porch the afternoon they returned from their excursion into the olive groves? Where did this person come from and why? How did Mother get along with this new guest?

9. Who was the Countess Mavrodaki? Why did she contact Gerald? What was Larry's reaction to her letter to Gerald?

10. What sound woke Larry in the middle of the night that caused him to wake the rest of the family? What did Gerald tell them all that explained things? What had caused the noise?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This memoir covers a period of time in Durrell's life. The reader is given clues as to how old the characters are, the years in which they are on Corfu, and what part of the twentieth century the memoir takes place. Write in your own words a short biography of the Durrell family and include as much as you know about the time(s) in the memoir.

Essay Topic 2

The writer uses dialogue to enhance the characters and often to inject humor into a situation. What are three examples of memorable dialogue in the memoir? Why are they memorable, and why are they important to the memoir?

Essay Topic 3

In almost all chapters of his memoir, Chapter Ten excluded, Durrell introduces new people into the story. Discuss the purpose of the introductions of Sven Olson, Donald and Max, and Captain Creech. What purpose do these people serve in the story, and what does their presence in the chapter allow Durrell to remember about his family members?

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