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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. What does Alex's father do that makes Alex mad?
(a) He jokes with Alex about Jewish people.
(b) He hits Grandfather.
(c) He jokes with Alex about sex.
(d) He hits Alex.

2. Why are the Gypsy girl and Safran unable to be together?
(a) Because of his arm.
(b) Because she is a Gypsy and he is a Jew.
(c) Because she is smart and he is not.
(d) Because she is poor and he is rich.

3. In "What We Saw When We Saw Trachimbrod or Falling in Love," who says "I don't want to hear any more?"
(a) Jonathan.
(b) The old woman.
(c) Alex.
(d) Grandfather.

4. In "Letter Dated 12 December 1997," what does Alex say is the reason he does not remove his father from his life?
(a) Weakness.
(b) Cowardice.
(c) Love.
(d) His father has changed.

5. Who does Safran meet up with at the wedding reception?
(a) Lista.
(b) Maya.
(c) Zosha.
(d) The Gypsy girl.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do Alex and Jonathan do together while waiting for Grandfather and the old woman to finish talking?

2. What is odd about traveling to Trachimbrod with the old woman?

3. How does Alex feel about the idea of cutting out the discussion of Jonathan's grandmother from the story?

4. When Safran meets the Gypsy, what is the subject of the play they are watching?

5. Who is the old woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Alex lie about his sex life?

2. What does Jonathan tell Alex about his grandmother while waiting for Grandfather and the old woman? What do Jonathan and his grandmother have in common?

3. Why does Alex send back the money that Jonathan sent him? Why is he angry?

4. Does the old woman in "Falling in Love" know Jonathan's grandfather? What does she tell Jonathan?

5. What is the relationship between Safran in 1941, Brod in 1804, and the Dial.

6. How does the Kolker change in "The Dial, 1941-1804-1941"?

7. Safran muses "the more you love someone . . . the harder it is to tell them" (234). What is he referencing? Is this true? Why?

8. Why do women fall in love with Safran?

9. After reading "What We Saw When We Saw Trachimbrod, or Falling in Love," the reader might suspect that Lista was a character in her own story. Who might she be? How do you know? Why do this?

10. In "Falling in Love," what does "Augustine" look like?

(see the answer keys)

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