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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. What about the blue-eyed man caught Olga's attention?

2. Why did the Stubendiensts and the German prisoners form a circle around those who were chosen for selection?

3. What was the ultimate purpose of Birkenau?

4. What was the only restriction upon the Lageraelteste?

5. How long after their arrival did Olga and her fellow prisoners receive their first morning meal?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways was Birkenau different from Auschwitz?

2. How did the German soldiers react to the passengers on the train cars?

3. How did the conditions in the "koias" affect the prisoners?

4. Describe the hierarchy of the prisoners in the camp.

5. How did Olga and her husband react to meeting each other within the camp?

6. How did Olga come to work in the infirmary?

7. Why did the Germans allow the prisoners to write postcards to their loved ones outside of the camps?

8. At what point did the deportees realize the true horror of their situation?

9. What were the conditions like in Olga's barracks?

10. Why did Olga run from the washroom when Tadek entered?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How was the author able to maintain her positive perspective on human nature despite the horrific ordeals she had experienced and witnessed?

Essay Topic 2

The author describes the cultural makeup of the concentration camp as a "melting pot" of nationalities, languages, and social classes. How did the conditions of the camp make cultural and social distinctions irrelevant?

Essay Topic 3

What methods did the Nazis use to control their victims at different stages of their deportation, imprisonment, and extermination? How did the reactions of the deportees and prisoners enable the Nazis to succeed in their work?

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