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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. Where has the narrator moved to recently in Chapter 1?

2. Who does the narrator meet for dinner in Chapter 3?

3. How did Jana react when the narrator first told her about Adriaan?

4. What is the main reason the narrator wants to stay in The Hague?

5. What kind of work does the narrator do?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the narrator and Jana different?

2. What does the narrator think of Jana's new neighborhood?

3. What is a major reason the narrator wants to stay in The Hague?

4. How does the narrator first meet Adriaan?

5. What is the main business in The Hague?

6. In Chapter 5, what is one reason the accused is angry, and what question does he ask the interpreter in French?

7. What trip does Adriaan tell the narrator he is taking in Chapter 7 that could have major consequences for their relationship?

8. How does the narrator feel in Chapter 4 when she stays at Adriaan's apartment?

9. What does translation and interpretation require, according to the narrator?

10. Who regularly protests outside the criminal court's buildings?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does the narrator find Kees's presence and interactions with her, both socially and at work, so unnerving? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Why does the narrator ultimately turn down Bettina's offer of a permanent job in translating at The Hague? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

What are the major sources of the narrator's discomfort during her first assignment with the well-known jihadist at the detention center at the beginning of the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

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