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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. What product does Arn skip school to sell, much to the chagrin of his older sister?

2. When the trucks of Khmer Rouge soldiers first arrive, what does the radio tell the Cambodian people to do?

3. When the high-ranking soldiers for whom the band played has taken their leave, what is NOT a rule put in place by the remaining Khmer Rouge soldiers?

4. Sophea brings news that someone in Arn's family has died while calling out for him. Who is it?

5. How do the Khmer Rouge trick the government soldiers into assembling together at the airport so that they can be killed more efficiently?

Short Essay Questions

1. When a new mail carrier comes into camp, he shares some news with Arn. What part of the news does Arn doubt and what is the significance of this doubt?

2. What is ironic about the fact that the rice crop falls significantly short of the Khmer Rouge's expectations and they then reduce everyone's food allotment even further than before?

3. How does Arn describe his village at the opening of the novel before the Khmer Rouge arrive?

4. What is the significance of the escape from camp by the boy from Arn's village?

5. Who is the emaciated girl with the missing teeth and loose skin who arrives at Arn's camp and what does he learn from her?

6. What happens to the pregnant woman and her husband who are walking next to Arn within the mass exodus of all cities? What lesson does Arn learn from seeing what happens?

7. Though at first, the villagers think that the jeeps and trucks pouring into the village is a good sign and means that the war is over, what is the first thing that happens to make Arn realize that the opposite is true?

8. Why do the Khmer Rouge burn everyone's clothes and all of their material belongings?

9. What ploy do the Khmer Rouge use to get the government soldiers to come to the airport and what happens once they arrive?

10. What is the author's purpose in including the character of the five-year-old child whom Arn finds feasting on the flesh of the dead?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Arn often refers to the subject of fame at different points within the novel. Trace these mentions, explain each instance's circumstances, and discuss the overall message the author sends about the subject of fame.

Essay Topic 2

Many instances of irony are included in the novel's narrative, including the fact that while Arn has to hide the fact that his parents were musicians to keep from being labeled an imperialist, his life is saved by his inclusion in the Khmer Rouge's musical band. Find three other instances of irony within the novel and discuss each instance's significance.

Essay Topic 3

Desensitization is a coping mechanism Arn uses often in order to retain his sanity in the midst of the horrors all around him. Describe and analyze three of these instances and use them to explain how the author uses them to help the reader keep rooting for Arn even though at times he commits atrocities that in normal circumstances would seem unforgivable.

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