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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. On account of what do able-bodied fishermen disappear?

2. What does Sissie want to ask somebody?

3. According to one of the novel's characters, who uses the road everyday?

4. Where is Upper Volta?

5. What does Sissie say about last-minute goodbyes?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Marija give Sissie before she departs?

2. What beverage does Marija offer Sissie in Part 2: "The Plums?"

3. What type of cake does Marija bake for Sissie?

4. How does Sissie describe East Berlin?

5. How much weight does Sissie gain when in Europe?

6. What is the name of the relative of Sissie's West African friend whom she meets?

7. What does Part 2: "The Plums" say about education?

8. To what city does Sissie travel to meet her West African friend?

9. What does Part 2: "The Plums" say about love?

10. What city does Marija claim that Sissie ought to visit?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you evaluate the poetic interludes in the novel. What purpose do the poems serve? What is the effect on the reader when the poems break up the text? In your essay, you may conduct a close reading on any number of these poems as examples, and consider whether there are any common themes among these several poems, as well as what effect(s) they have on the reader.

Essay Topic 2

The story is told from Sissie's perspective. Write an essay in which you evaluate the author's decision on relating the story from Sissie's perspective, and whether another character's perspective would have been equally compelling.

Essay Topic 3

The economics of education are presented at several points during the novel. Write an essay in which you analyze how education is related to economics as presented in the novel. In your essay, you might consider what kind of volunteer work and studies students undertake abroad. You can also consider whether the connection between education and economics is portrayed in a positive, negative, fashion (or a mix of both). Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

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