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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. Who was one of Ben's father's girlfriends who he remembers?

2. What food does Mitsuko ask Ben about in Chapter 5?

3. When did Mike's mother's visits stop?

4. What does Ahmad say he is doing in Chapter 8?

5. Who is Ximena's son?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ben feel about his job at the daycare?

2. What is Mike's reaction when Ben asks him once if he wants kids?

3. What does Lydia, Ben's sister, think of Mike?

4. Which child is Ben closest to at the daycare, and what kinds of problems does this child have?

5. What did Mike ask Ben the night before Mike left for Japan?

6. What embarrasses Ben about his father when they go out to dinner together in Chapter 19?

7. What do Ben and Mitsuko start doing together in the apartment in Part I?

8. Why is Mike leaving for Osaka, Japan, in Chapter 1?

9. How does Ben feel about his mother's new husband and family?

10. What does Ben's father say about his sexuality in Chapter 19 that is entirely offensive?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is Ben the closest to - and who is he the most trusting of - in his own immediate family? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

How do both Ben and Mike seem to handle the idea of monogamy in their relationship? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Why do you think Mike ultimately makes the choice to take the extended trip to see his terminally ill father Eiju in Japan, even though the two have not spoken in more than a decade? 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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