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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. How soon is the baby due when Shukumar goes to an academic conference?

2. Lilia's parents were born where?

3. What is on the front of Mrs. Das' shirt that keeps attracting Mr. Kapasi's eyes?

4. Mr. Kapasi thinks the Das couple acts like what?

5. What does Mrs. Das do in the car as her family drives through In India?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when Lilia returns from trick-or-treating?

2. What does the power outage remind Shoba of from her childhood?

3. What devastating secret does Shukumar tell Shoba during the telling game to hurt her?

4. What are the national distinctions between Pakistan and India that Lilia is unaware of?

5. Why does Shukumar not look forward to the weekends when Shoba is home?

6. What is similar between the Das marriage and the Kapasi marriage?

7. Who is Boori Ma and what does she do for a living?

8. Without the Dalals around to protect her, what happens to Boori Ma?

9. What do the residents of the building think about Boori Ma?

10. Why does Lilia say a prayer for Mr. Pirzada's family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the word "sexy" and its shades of meaning in the story "Sexy."

Essay Topic 2

Discuss what Lilia's father means when he says: "But what does she learn about the world?" How does the dichotomy of being part of two cultures impart a knowledge that can't be taught in American schools? What view of American learning do you think Lahiri was trying to impart through these stories?

Essay Topic 3

What role does food play in each of the stories, both as a cultural icon and as sustenance?

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