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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What "fancy-style" item does Ivanovich buy for his trip (3)?
(a) A pair of hiking boots.
(b) A flannel shirt.
(c) A walking stick.
(d) An enormous backpack.

2. Who hosted the charity ball where Ivanovich won the tour?
(a) The German government.
(b) Russian refugees.
(c) A German tourism trade group.
(d) The narrator's business.

3. The group leader wears "Tyrolese" clothing. What is true of his clothing?
(a) It is traditionally worn in the Austrian Alps.
(b) It is traditionally worn by servants.
(c) It is traditionally worn by shepherds.
(d) It is traditionally worn in the Black Forest region.

4. What detail of Ivanovich's appearance seems to impress the narrator?
(a) His athletic physique.
(b) His healthy complexion.
(c) His neatly trimmed hair.
(d) His elegant clothing.

5. After dinner, what do the other tour members insist that Ivanovich do?
(a) Prove that he knows where they are going.
(b) Teach them a few words of Russian.
(c) Practice speaking German more clearly.
(d) Sing a solo.

6. Who is the author of "Cloud, Castle, Lake"?
(a) Anton Chekhov.
(b) Ivan Turgenev
(c) Vladimir Nabokov.
(d) Leo Tolstoy.

7. What does Ivanovich do to distract himself from "the absurdity and horror of the situation" (6)?
(a) Reads his book.
(b) Plays solitaire.
(c) Looks out the window at the scenery.
(d) Tries to fall asleep.

8. Who is depicted "in a low-cut gown" on page 4?
(a) Justice.
(b) Mercy.
(c) Temperance.
(d) Fate.

9. When Ivanovich falls asleep on the third day of the tour, how do the others wake him up?
(a) By pouring water on him.
(b) By throwing a sausage at him.
(c) By singing loudly in his ear.
(d) By slapping him.

10. What is Ivanovich expected to carry during the second day of the tour?
(a) His own boots.
(b) Bread.
(c) Sausage.
(d) An extra rucksack.

11. Including Ivanovich and the Bureau employees, how many people are in the tour group?
(a) 10.
(b) 8.
(c) 12.
(d) 14.

12. Which of the following best characterizes the narrator's attitude toward the absurd process that Ivanovich is told he must follow to sell back the tickets?
(a) Matter-of-fact.
(b) Skeptical.
(c) Bemused.
(d) Scornful.

13. In the description of the "mother-of-pearl claws on his dirty toes," what is the man with whom Ivanovich spends the night being compared to (12)?
(a) A laborer.
(b) A statue.
(c) An animal.
(d) A hidden gem.

14. On page 19, to what does the narrator compare Ivanovich's return journey, away from the lake?
(a) A "soul-shattering nightmare."
(b) A "hideous fairy tale."
(c) A "sinister game."
(d) A "cruel, demeaning prank."

15. What description does the narrator give of the train car on page 5?
(a) It "echoes like a tin box."
(b) It is "unmistakably third-class."
(c) It "reeks of holiday revelry."
(d) It is "cattle-car bare."

Short Answer Questions

1. When the narrator says that the road "undulated," what is being said of this road (12)?

2. Which of the following describes the group leader accurately?

3. How long has Ivanovich been in love with a married woman?

4. In the phrase "several people, alas, were taking part in the excursion," what is the word "alas" meant to convey (4)?

5. Who wrote the book that Ivanovich opens on the train?

(see the answer keys)

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