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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 Story of the Warrior and the Captive Maiden," who is Droctulft?
(a) A barbarian who once attacked the Roman Empire, and then defends it.
(b) A barbarian who continually runs from battle with Rome.
(c) A barbarian who battles Rome to his dying day.
(d) A barbarian who, at first, strangely defends Rome, but comes to his senses, and attacks it.

2. In "The Writing of God," what happens to Tzinacan?
(a) He tunnels his way out of his cell.
(b) He achieves unity with the Divine and destroys his prison.
(c) He achieves unity with the Divine and happily remains imprisoned.
(d) He is attacked by the wild animal next to him, and is killed.

3. In "The Cult of the Phoenix," what is the Cult of the Phoenix?
(a) A group devoted to the study of mythology.
(b) A shadowy religious sect.
(c) A bird watching group, with their own language derived from the names of birds.
(d) A group that imagines they have exact counterparts in Arizona.

4. In "Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius," what is Orbis Tertius?
(a) An undiscovered number.
(b) Herbert Ashe's code name.
(c) The narrator's award for Latin, that he received in college.
(d) The trade name for a secret society that describes Tlon and Uqbar.

5. In "The Immortal," the troglodyte who recites poetry to Marcus is what writer?
(a) Sophocles.
(b) Homer.
(c) Euripides.
(d) Ovid.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "The Dead Man," why does Otalora first have to leave Argentina?

2. In "The Secret Miracle," how is Hladik eventually killed?

3. Thematically, "Pierre Menard, Author of Quixote" deals most closely with which of the following?

4. In "The Approach to Al-Mu'tasim," what does the law student think he has done that causes him to live in exile with India's most wretched populace?

5. In "The Zahir," what is his lover's sister obsessed with?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "The Widow Ching--Pirate," Ching becomes a pirate, but does she have any virtuous qualities, even in this criminal profession?

2. What does "Story of the Warrior and the Captive Maiden" say about the nature of human identity?

3. In "House of Asterion," is there anything sympathetic about Asterion?

4. In "The Library of Babel," the imaginary library of the title is an allusion to the Tower of Babel. How is this appropriate?

5. In "A Biography of Tadeo Isidoro Cruz (1829-1874)," what makes Tadeo decide to fight for Martin Fierro, the man he pursues?

6. In "Funes, His Memory," is Funes's prodigious memory a good thing or a bad thing?

7. In "Three Versions of Judas," what are the three ways Runeberg portrays Judas?

8. In "Emma Zunz," how does Emma exact revenge on Lowenthal for her father's death?

9. In "The End," does the black man who plays his guitar and continually waits outside the bar get what he has been waiting for?

10. In "The Improbable Impostor Tom Castro," what is Tom's relationship to Ebenezer Bogle?

(see the answer keys)

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