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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. When Shabbos arrives, the bulletin board on Josef's ship announces that the social hall will be converted into a what?
(a) A medical clinic.
(b) A dance floor.
(c) A synagogue.
(d) A reception hall.

2. Who takes Josef and the other children on a tour of the ship?
(a) Captain Schroeder.
(b) Josef's mother.
(c) Petty Officer Jockl.
(d) Schiendick.

3. What is NOT among Fidel Castro's oft-repeated list of the three greatest achievements of the Cuban Revolution?
(a) Sports.
(b) Education.
(c) Public health.
(d) Agriculture.

4. Where does Mahmoud's father keep the family's official papers and their money?
(a) Sewn into Waleed's hat.
(b) In his wallet.
(c) In a safe deposit box.
(d) Tucked into his pants under his shirt.

5. Isabel's best friend Ivan is also her what?
(a) Her neighbor.
(b) Her uncle.
(c) Her business partner.
(d) Her second cousin.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Josef's ship slows down, causing his father to think that the ship is being turned around, what is the true cause of the change in speed?

2. Ivan's favorite team, The Industriales, is what type of team?

3. To what concentration camp is Josef's father sent whee he is taken into "protective custody" (3)?

4. What happens to halt the song being sung by the occupants of Isabel's boat?

5. The Nazis who storm Josef's family's home are never depicted directly by the author. Instead, what word is used to refer to them throughout the scene?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Mahmoud's family choose Germany as a place to run to when they leave Syria?

2. What is ironic about Josef's feelings following his bar mitzvah?

3. How does Josef view the difference between life on the ship above decks and life on the ship below decks?

4. Compare and contrast Josef's thoughts about the ship's full speed with Captain Schroeder's comments about the ship's full speed.

5. How does Mahmoud feel about invisibility?

6. What happens the first two times Isabel's father tries to journey to America from Cuba?

7. Why does Isabel feel awe in response to the riots in Cuba in addition to fear?

8. How does the author go about portraying Mahmoud as an empathetic soul?

9. Of everyone in Mahmoud's family, who comes the closest to losing his or her life when the apartment is hit by a missile?

10. What is the author's purpose for characterizing the Nazis terrorizing Josef's family as "shadows"? (1)

(see the answer keys)

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