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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. In Chapter 15, when does Lady Yuko have a letter delivered to Nori?

2. In Chapter 15, who does Nori find in Akira's room?

3. How old is Nori in Chapter 14?

4. What time would Akira's mother wake him to play games in the garden when they lived together?

5. What instrumentalist collapses during the performance Nori attends in Chapter 16?

Short Essay Questions

1. After Nori recovers, what does she remember about the accident?

2. Who is Ayame?

3. How does the meeting go with Akira's grandparents?

4. What happens when Nori and Akira are being driven back to Tokyo after they play for Hiromoto and his guests?

5. What happens during Alice's third pregnancy?

6. What does Jane, Alice's sister, say to Nori at a party Alice has for Nori?

7. How does Nori feel at the end of Chapter 12?

8. What is the concert like where Nori plays for Hiromoto and his guests?

9. What does Alice think about her husband?

10. In April 1964, what is Alice doing?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does the author use idioms in the book? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand? Why do the idioms often require research to understand their meaning?

Essay Topic 2

Nori and Miyuki meet at the brothel. How do the girls get acquainted? What do they have in common? How different are they? How do their shared experiences build a strong friendship?

Essay Topic 3

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view in the book? How does the author switch the point of view? How does the point of view influence what readers know about events and people?

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This section contains 948 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample