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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What happens when a classmate asks Jaromil about the redhead?
(a) He replies that she is the love of his life.
(b) He replies that she is his cousin.
(c) He replies that she is a casual acquaintance.
(d) He refuses to answer the question, out of embarrassment.

2. At the beginning of Part 6, Chapter 1, what does Kundera do with the story?
(a) Moves the point of observation to another character.
(b) Dismisses Jaromil as an unimportant character.
(c) Begins to intersperse his prose with lots of poetry.
(d) Makes Maman the main character of the story.

3. After Jaromil hears about the girl's brother, what action does he want her to take?
(a) Flee the country with him.
(b) Urge her family to stop her brother.
(c) Tell the police.
(d) Persuade her brother not to flee.

4. When the redhead is fifteen minutes late, what is the first excuse she gives Jaromil?
(a) She was with a girlfriend who was breaking up with her fiancé.
(b) She was making love to another man.
(c) She was spending a few minutes with her brother.
(d) She was with her mother in the hospital.

5. In the cinematographer's apartment, what happens?
(a) The people sip wine and chat amiably.
(b) The cinematographer and Jaromil kiss.
(c) The people have a heated discussion about socialism.
(d) Jaromil recites his silly ideas about love.

6. Why does Jaromil agree to read in the presentation of poets?
(a) He thinks it will finally bring him recognition as a poet.
(b) He does not want to make the janitor's son angry.
(c) He wants to prove that he believes the ideals of communism.
(d) He will become part of the common people since the literary community rejected him.

7. What boosts Jaromil's confidence before the poetry reading at the police academy?
(a) Maman recently praised him for his poetry.
(b) He is the youngest and therefore the face of the future.
(c) Five of his poems were recently published.
(d) The janitor's son has complete assurance in his poetic ability.

8. What makes Maman think that Jaromil is actually becoming like a son of Apollo?
(a) He values the Greek gods more than passing political trend.
(b) He has taken down the picture of his father.
(c) His face is becoming beautiful and godlike rather than coarse.
(d) He has begun writing beautiful poems, not poems of death.

9. When does Jaromil feel that the girl belongs to him completely?
(a) When she swears to love him forever.
(b) When she lets him undress her.
(c) When his hands are around her neck.
(d) When he writes a poem about her.

10. What disguise does Jaromil use for treating the redhead with cruelty?
(a) Concern for their relationship.
(b) Anger at Maman.
(c) Wounded love.
(d) Concern for the girl.

11. What happens to Jaromil's uncle?
(a) He is charged with being an enemy of the state and imprisoned.
(b) He is charged with fraud and imprisoned.
(c) He leaves his wife to hide in a remote village.
(d) He contracts pneumonia and dies.

12. What location is Maman most excited to film in?
(a) Her garden.
(b) The artist's studio.
(c) The countryside surrounding Prague.
(d) Jaromil's bedroom.

13. Why is it important to Jaromil that he die by fire?
(a) He thinks fire would be the quickest way to die.
(b) He thinks of himself as a gruesome beacon for the future.
(c) A man's death conveys a message about his life.
(d) He wants nothing to remain of himself but his poems.

14. Why had Jaromil not known about the film about his life?
(a) Maman was subtly hoping the film would actually be about her.
(b) He was too caught up in the redhead to notice.
(c) Maman had wanted it to be a surprise.
(d) The cinematographer was not comfortable having Jaromil deeply involved.

15. Just outside the prison, why does the girl hate to see the horses and riders?
(a) She takes it as a bad omen.
(b) She feels far below them and pitiful by comparison.
(c) She has always been afraid of horses.
(d) She thinks they are out to capture people, possibly her.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the redhead claim that she did when she had a doctor's appointment?

2. What is the last thing Jaromil ever sees?

3. While Jaromil is answering questions about love and socialism, what is he most conscious of?

4. Why does the lyrical poet make his poetry striking?

5. What kind of verbs does Jaromil love?

(see the answer keys)

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