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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. Why did Mum chide the narrator’s father when they visited her at the hospital in Chapter 28: "Charlie Chilvers"?

2. What word in the book refers to a compact 9mm submachine gun?

3. The narrator’s father herded the wild cattle gently because stressed cows do what?

4. What was the name of the tobacco farm Dad was hired to manage in Chapter 32: "Malawi"?

5. What was the name of the Fullers’ cook in Chapter 30: "Nervous Breakdown"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe the political atmosphere of Zambia in Chapter 36: "Mkushi"?

2. How does the narrator describe the new black and mixed race students at her school in Chapter 22: "Independence"?

3. How does the narrator compare the Fuller family prior to and after the death of Richard in Chapter 30: "Nervous Breakdown"?

4. What happened when Bobo’s father went to retrieve their mother from the hospital in Chapter 29: "Richard"?

5. What position did Bobo’s father accept in Chapter 24: "Devuli"? How is the setting of this chapter described?

6. Who became Prime Minister of Zimbabwe in Chapter 22: "Independence"? What happened at Bobo’s school after this election?

7. How did Mum’s behavior change after she returned from the hospital in Chapter 29: "Richard"?

8. Where was the Fullers’ farm located in Chapter 36: "Mkushi"? How were the people described?

9. What “close call” happened with at a checkpoint in Chapter 36: "Mkushi"?

10. How was Devuli Ranch described in Chapter 27: "Ranch Work"? Why did Dad herd the cattle gently there?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the settings, history, and culture of Dete and Karoi, Rhodesia. How does Alexandra Fuller describe the geography and climate of these locales? When did the Fuller family live in Dete? When did they move to Karoi?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the precautions taken by the Fuller family in protecting Robandi from rebels in Chapter 10: "Chimunenga 1974.” How did this experience affect Bobo? What did the young narrator understand of the political strife around her at the time? How did her understanding evolve?

Essay Topic 3

Define “Coming-Back Babies” and discuss the superstition and ritual surrounding this phenomenon in African tradition. Why would Alexandra Fuller have been considered a “Coming-Back Baby”? Did the Fuller family have strong superstitious beliefs? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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