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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does the artist show Maman that he is not interested in a relationship with her?
(a) Treats her like a friend when she goes to his apartment.
(b) Shows her new paintings of his girlfriend.
(c) Tells her everything about his girlfriend.
(d) Tells her he does not want to see her again.

2. Why does Xavier leave the beautiful woman?
(a) He no longer loves her.
(b) The world becomes even more beautiful because it came at the cost of her love.
(c) He loves her but not enough to fight her husband for her.
(d) His life is much more difficult than she can ever bear.

3. How do Jaromil and Maman reach the lake resort?
(a) By walking.
(b) By train and buggy.
(c) By train.
(d) By car.

4. During the Marxist debate which Jaromil attends, how does one person cause a distraction?
(a) Reading random sections of Marx's writing.
(b) Tapping his foot against his chair leg.
(c) Elbowing the girl next to him whenever the speaker makes a good point.
(d) Periodically sniffing a wilted lily.

5. Why does Xavier stay in the woman's room when her husband comes home?
(a) He wants to put the woman in danger as a form of revenge.
(b) He wants to confront her husband.
(c) He does not have time to leave.
(d) He wants to protect her from danger.

6. What is the silver-haired poet's attitude toward the poetry reading in the auditorium?
(a) He is too good for the young people who have gathered.
(b) He deserves to be honored for his poetic achievements.
(c) He is a young person moving toward the future.
(d) He is grateful to Marxism for bringing such disparate people together.

7. In the philosophy auditorium, what is the subject of the first poem recited?
(a) A girl breaks up with her boyfriend because he was lazy on the production line.
(b) A mother turns away her son because he is not committed to Marxist ideals.
(c) A father struggles to provide for his family under Communist rule.
(d) A group of university students convert the school to Marxism.

8. How does Maman view her love for the young engineer?
(a) As a passing fling.
(b) As a revolt against her parents' prosaic lives.
(c) As her life's consuming passion.
(d) As the preface for the love for her child.

9. How is the university girl different from any other girl Jaromil has known?
(a) She does not want him to meet her family.
(b) She only lets him kiss her when no one else is around.
(c) She gives him complete liberty with her body.
(d) She barely lets him touch her.

10. Why is 1949 an interesting year for Czech youth?
(a) They have destroyed the past but have no future.
(b) They have no idea how to implement their ideas for the future.
(c) Their jubilance is both voluntary and mandatory.
(d) Their Marxist ideas are taking hold more quickly than they ever expected.

11. In the opinion of Jaromil's uncle, why did the revolution occur?
(a) So that the new era of humanity could begin.
(b) So the Communists could finally become a powerful political party.
(c) So the Communists could seize what little power they did not already have.
(d) So that the capitalist swine would be overthrown.

12. To Jaromil, what determines a woman's beauty?
(a) Her hands.
(b) Her face.
(c) Her spirit.
(d) Her body.

13. Why does Maman blame Jaromil for all her troubles?
(a) She would rather blame her son as herself.
(b) He is too emotionally needy.
(c) She lashes out at him because he is defenseless.
(d) He has cost her the love of every man in her life.

14. What is the artist's opinion about Jaromil's drawings of headless women?
(a) Jaromil does not acknowledge humanity.
(b) Jaromil's drawings reflect a fear of women.
(c) The environments of the pictures do not acknowledge humanity.
(d) Jaromil does not have enough talent to draw portraits.

15. What does Jaromil see as the sign that his verses have true power?
(a) The poems' ability to stand on their own as independent works.
(b) His own thrill at the sounds of the words.
(c) The emotion on his mother's face when she reads them.
(d) The artist's enthusiastic reaction.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the theme of the long poem reveal about Jaromil's thoughts?

2. Why is the famous poet booed by the audience after he reads a poem?

3. How does Maman have complete control of her son?

4. Why does the artist begin loaning books to Jaromil?

5. Why does Maman take her husband's picture off the wall?

(see the answer keys)

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