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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

3. How do the Iranian authorities view the country's past?
(a) Iran's past is considered important in the development of a perfect Koranic society.
(b) Iran's past is used as a foundation for the development of a more modern society.
(c) The past is irrelevant to the leaders who want to establish a perfect Koranic society.
(d) The Iranian leaders see the country's past as an example for other societies.

4. Why is Nabokov's "Invitation to a Beheading" the inspiration for Nafisi to form the study group?
(a) Nafisi sees connections between Nabokov's world and post-revolutionary Iran.
(b) Nafisi is inspired by Nabokov's characters who conform to totalitarian regimes.
(c) Nabokov symbolizes the banality of Western thought.
(d) Nabokov wrote about conditions in post-revolutionary Iran.

5. What object does Nafisi refer to when she first describes the students in her study group?
(a) A photograph.
(b) A veil.
(c) Tehran.
(d) Her apartment.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What does Nafisi see reflected in the mirror?

3. What does Nafisi consider to be the first lesson in democracy?

4. How do the students get enough copies of "Lolita" to study?

5. Why does Nafisi see a parallel between Humbert and contemporary Iranian society?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the relationship between the imaginary rain shower and the meeting of Nafisi's class?

2. What is the purpose of the dreams that Nafisi describes?

3. What is the significance of the green gate Nafisi mentions in Chapter 9?

4. According to Vera Nabokov, what is the beauty in "Lolita" and why is it missed by critics?

5. How do the university officials react to Nafisi before and after her resignation?

6. Why does Nafisi ask her children about their memories of Iran?

7. Why do Nafisi and her students feel so strongly about Nabokov and his works?

8. How does the Iranian regime expect women to behave on the streets of Tehran?

9. Why is there a difference between the students' level of comfort in talking about themselves and their level of comfort in discussing the novels?

10. Why do the magician and Nafisi enjoy each other's company so much?

(see the answer keys)

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