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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. Alfonso says that Sonya’s voice, although it cannot be heard, is what?

2. Alfonso says Sonya speaks against silence, all the while knowing what?

3. Alfonso says that you can have sex with anyone, but you cannot do what with just anyone?

4. What happens if townspeople show signs of deafness?

5. In “What We Cannot Hear,” Sonya is forced into an army jeep one morning in what month?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Lullaby,” what does Alfonso say will protect his daughter?

2. What does “Gunshot” say about the country of the characters in this story?

3. What is the topic of both “Of Weddings before the War” and “Still Newlyweds”?

4. What does Alfonso say about his and his wife’s bathing ritual?

5. In “4 a.m. Bombardment,” what is Alfonso doing?

6. In “Checkpoints” what do the soldiers set up around town and why?

7. In “As Soldiers March, Alfonso Covers the Boy’s Face with a Newspaper,” how does Sonya react to her cousin’s murder?

8. How does Alfonso react to his wife’s murder?

9. In “We Lived Happily during the War,” the speaker says what happened when homes were bombed?

10. What does the speaker say in “For His Wife”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

For a box of oranges, Alfonso kills a soldier. How does he seem to feel about his actions? How does this compare to the reactions of the other townspeople? How do the reactions of the townspeople right after the killing compare to when Alfonso is tortured and killed? What does this reveal about the townspeople?

Essay Topic 2

Puppets are symbolic in this poem. What is the purpose of the puppets? What do they represent? Are they an effective use of symbolism? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Sonya's last word is, "Ready!" What does this and her previous actions, as well as silence, reveal about her? How is she both a heroine and a martyr? How do her actions compare to those of many of her fellow townspeople? Are most people likely to be like Sonya? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 707 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample