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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What do the class members take turns doing each week?
(a) They take turns providing pastry for breaks.
(b) They take turns telling their private stories.
(c) They take turns reading a published copy of "Lolita."
(d) They take turns leading the group discussion.

2. Chapter 12 takes place during which season?
(a) Fall.
(b) Summer.
(c) Spring.
(d) Winter.

3. What does Nafisi share with her male acquaintance in Chapter 16?
(a) A ham sandwich.
(b) An ice cream cone.
(c) A car ride.
(d) A dinner party.

4. Why is it so difficult to find a copy of "Lolita" in Tehran?
(a) The bookstores are closed.
(b) The book has been banned.
(c) The bookstores are unable to order books with female characters.
(d) Students prefer to read from photocopies, not books.

5. The desire for what intangible object drives Nafisi's students?
(a) The desire for beauty.
(b) The desire for justice.
(c) The desire for truth.
(d) The desire for morality.

6. Why does Nafisi's acquaintance refuse to meet with her students?
(a) He is trying to minimize contact with people.
(b) He is unhappy with Nafisi teaching literature to these girls.
(c) He does not want to get Nafisi in trouble with the authorities.
(d) He does not like female students.

7. Why was Nafisi's father arrested?
(a) He challenged the educational system.
(b) He ignored directions from those in higher levels of government.
(c) He lost a great deal of money and could not pay the bills.
(d) He was not a member of the religious community.

8. How does Nafisi structure the first class sessions?
(a) With students reading "revolutionary" authors and discussing the parallels to contemporary society.
(b) With the students leading discussion and choosing what to read.
(c) Like a traditional literature class, with Nafisi asking questions and leading discussions.
(d) Like a lecture class, with the students taking notes on Nafisi's lectures.

9. Why do Ministry of Education officials ask the faculty at Nafisi's school if they thought they were in Switzerland?
(a) Because the officials believe the University of Tehran is too conservative and should be more like schools in Switzerland.
(b) Because the University of Tehran is the most liberal campus in Iran, and Switzerland is the byword for Western lax and decadent behavior.
(c) Because Switzerland has schools with conservative values just like the conservative values of the University of Tehran.
(d) Because Switzerland is the model for the type of government the Ministry of Education is trying to establish.

10. What are the biggest threats to an idealized vision of an individual or a country?
(a) Goals for the present government.
(b) Interactions between men and women.
(c) The use of literature as a teaching tool.
(d) The memory of what was real in the past and a sense of imagination about future possibilities.

11. Why are Manna's friends reprimanded by guards?
(a) Because they were wearing makeup.
(b) Because they were biting apples too seductively.
(c) Because they were walking on the street.
(d) Because they were not wearing their veils.

12. What does Nassrin's mother teach her daughter?
(a) German.
(b) English.
(c) Arabic.
(d) French.

13. What does Nafisi see reflected in the mirror?
(a) Her husband.
(b) Mountains.
(c) A hospital.
(d) Her students.

14. Why is Nafisi nervous about the intruders being in her house?
(a) She has young children who are afraid of guns.
(b) She believes her neighbor will blame her for whatever happens.
(c) She has a forbidden satellite dish.
(d) She hasn't cleaned the house for a religious celebration.

15. What object becomes popular in Iran?
(a) A mirror.
(b) A satellite dish.
(c) Foreign language novels.
(d) The Great Gatsby.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to Nafisi, how is the character of Lolita like Nafisi's students?

2. What happens to the class after they read "Madame Bovary"?

3. How does Nafisi feel about revealing herself in class?

4. How did Nafisi learn of her father's arrest?

5. Why is Nabokov's "Invitation to a Beheading" the inspiration for Nafisi to form the study group?

(see the answer keys)

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