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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In the phrase "several people, alas, were taking part in the excursion," what is the word "alas" meant to convey (4)?
(a) Ivanovich's preference to do things on his own.
(b) The narrator's belief that travel is unnecessary.
(c) The narrator's belief that the excursion will be dull.
(d) Ivanovich's concern that the train will be overcrowded.

2. When the narrator says that the road "undulated," what is being said of this road (12)?
(a) It gently rises and falls.
(b) It varies in width.
(c) It curves sharply.
(d) It abruptly ends.

3. What technique is used in the phrase "toward a train lurking behind other trains"?
(a) Conceit.
(b) Personification.
(c) Cacophony.
(d) Hyperbole.

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

5. Why does the group make Ivanovich eat a cigarette butt?
(a) He speaks Russian in his sleep.
(b) He accidentally trips one of the women.
(c) He loses a game.
(d) He tries to read his book.

Short Answer Questions

1. After dinner, what do the other tour members insist that Ivanovich do?

2. What does Ivanovich do to distract himself from "the absurdity and horror of the situation" (6)?

3. From context, what is the likely meaning of the word "dactyl" in "On the other side...towered, arising from dactyl to dactyl, an ancient black castle" (14)?

4. What "fancy-style" item does Ivanovich buy for his trip (3)?

5. What instrument does one of the men insist on teaching Ivanovich to play?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ivanovich end up going on a tour that he does not want to go on?

2. What happens when Ivanovich declares that he will stay at the lake instead of returning to Berlin?

3. What happens at dinnertime on the first day of the trip?

4. What role does singing seem to play on the tour that Ivanovich is on?

5. What is frustrating for Ivanovich about the beauty in the landscapes he sees from the train?

6. What does Ivanovich do at each of the train stations on the first day of the trip, and what does this show about his character?

7. Why does Ivanovich try to avoid singing the songs, and what happens when he is only pretending to sing?

8. How does Ivanovich end up losing the game that they play on the train, and what happens as a consequence?

9. Who is Schramm and what function does he serve on the trip?

10. What kinds of things does Ivanovich feel passion for, and what kinds of things does he dislike?

(see the answer keys)

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