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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. The vignette about whales posits that on the rare occasion when a beached whale is saved, it is sent to what country?
(a) Cuba.
(b) China.
(c) Japan.
(d) Thailand.

2. When the narrator dreams of cities as enormous tree trunks, what is her estimation of how high the live trees must have reached?
(a) 100 kilometers.
(b) 1500 miles.
(c) 300 kilometers.
(d) 40 miles.

3. In Josefine Soliman's final letter to Francis I, she accuses him of what transgression?
(a) Apologizing insincerely.
(b) Playing God.
(c) Welshing on a bet.
(d) Lying.

4. The woman with the red suitcase makes several trips to what country?
(a) Spain.
(b) Poland.
(c) Thailand.
(d) France.

5. The narrator declares that reception areas are better than cafes for what reason?
(a) Because they are quieter.
(b) Because they contain more human drama.
(c) Because they require no purchase.
(d) Because they are carpeted.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the vignette entitled "Travel Tales," the narrator wonders whether she should speak in what form, rather than in stories?

2. What part of the fictional Philip Verheyen's own body does he dissect over the course of several years?

3. What city is referred to as the Eternal City?

4. In which direction does the narrator's plane fly in the vignette entitled "Irkutsk-Moscow" (225)?

5. After Verheyen's recovery, he shows a remarkable talent for practicing what skill?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the words of Annushka's supposed tormentor are revealed, what had the old woman been saying?

2. In what way does Tokarczuk use dialogue in order to highlight a lack of sensitivity in tourists?

3. Who is Annushka?

4. What significance does the unnamed narrator find in the shapes of airports?

5. What does the smoke created by the Maori symbolize?

6. In what way does the unnamed narrator show an affinity for secrecy?

7. How is the theme of family bonds demonstrated within Annushka's story?

8. How is the theme of oppression featured within the vignettes about James Cook?

9. In what way does the theme of compassion arise within Annushka's story?

10. In what way does the theme of regret appear within the story of Van Horssen and his mentor Verheyen?

(see the answer keys)

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