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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. The Sunday before Advent, with what does Richard cover his parents' graves?

2. What chore would Richard's mother sometime do when he practiced playing the piano?

3. In Richard's library, how many of his books are in Italian?

4. How much money does Richard figure the refugees have to live on after expenses?

5. After talking to the staff taking blood, who does Richard notice going out?

Short Essay Questions

1. What police presence is at Spandau when 12 men are to be moved?

2. What was life like for the thin man with the broom before he went to Kumasi?

3. What is the room like where Richard has a piano, and how has the room been used over the years?

4. Why does Richard walk Osarobo back to the old nursing home after Osarobo spends time playing Richard's piano?

5. What medical condition does Rashid have, and why has he not been treated for it?

6. Why does Richard give Anne, the photographer, Ali's contact information?

7. What dreams did the thin man with the broom have and how did they seem to have a basis in reality?

8. Who are the staff at the old nursing home where the refugees are housed?

9. Why does it seem like Richard can smell freshly washed clothes when hears Bach's Inventions on the radio?

10. What happened to Rashid's wife?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Richard experiences a shift in his perspective and how he views the world as he gets to know the refugees. What does he mean when he is reminded by his visits with the refugees, "that one person's vantage point is just as valid as another's, and in seeing, there is no right, no wrong" (55).

Essay Topic 2

Imagery is a literary device authors use to describe characters and the world they inhabit. Imagery involves using the five senses to describe characters, places, and things. How does Erpenbeck use imagery to help readers imagine the world and characters she has created?

Essay Topic 3

When Richard goes to speak with the refugees, he is curious and wants something to do. As he spends time with them, he becomes an active participant in their lives. How does Richard become an active participant in the refugees’ lives?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 986 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample