View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What year in school are Suhail and Nabil?

2. How does Jadaan feel about Mubarak?

3. Why does Umm Saad feel the way she does about her cousin's statement?

4. How long ago was Jadaan a hunter?

5. When does Nabil wake up in "A Hand in the Grave"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Umm Saad support her son at the end of the story?

2. How do the images of Umm Saad vary, regarding her temperament?

3. How do Nabil and Suhail react upon entering the graveyard?

4. What does Nabil learn about the graveyard seven years later?

5. How does Jadaan show indifference to his job?

6. What happens to Suhail after the graveyard plan?

7. What does the father's religiousness foreshadow in "A Hand in the Grave"?

8. What unique trait of motherhood does Umm Saad display when speaking about Saad?

9. What did Jadaan do after he met the red-haired woman?

10. Why does Nabil transfer out of medical school?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The themes of courage and cowardice are prominent in "Letter from Gaza." How does cowardice play a role in the story? How does courage play a role in the story? Which display is strongest--the cowardice or the courage, and with whom? Remember to answer each question with specific examples from the story.

Essay Topic 2

The mother in "The Land of the Sad Oranges" seems to play a background role in the story, but she still plays an important one. What role does the mother play in the story, and how is she portrayed throughout the story? How does she act for the family in their time of need? Remember to answer each question thoroughly with evidence from the story.

Essay Topic 3

As with most stories, there is usually a beginning, middle, climax, and end; "The Land of Sad Oranges" is no different. Discuss the events of the story leading up to the climax. What does the climax of the story demonstrate? What does the father's desperation show? How is this a turning point for the narrator? Remember to answer each question with evidence from the story.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 684 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample