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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the occupation of the first of Michael's ancestors to arrive in Ceylon?
(a) Lawyer.
(b) Doctor.
(c) Sea captain.
(d) Merchant.

2. Where did a book Ian Goonetileke put together on the insurgency have to be published?
(a) America.
(b) England.
(c) Switzerland.
(d) Australia.

3. In the poem "Sweet Like a Crow," stepping on what bird was compared to the sound of someone's voice?
(a) Booby.
(b) Petrel.
(c) Peacock.
(d) Grebe.

4. During what month would Doris and Lalla spend their time at the races?
(a) March.
(b) November.
(c) January.
(d) August.

5. What type of flower did Lalla wear on her dress when she went to the races?
(a) Violet.
(b) Buttercup.
(c) Jacaranda.
(d) Guelder Rose.

6. How old was Natalia Asarrapa when she married?
(a) 20.
(b) 22.
(c) 17.
(d) 15.

7. What was Doris's favorite song in the 1920s?
(a) Dream Just Dreams.
(b) After All.
(c) Moonlight Bay.
(d) A Fine Romance.

8. What game did the insurgents play with Michael's younger sister Susan when they came to Rock Hill?
(a) Croquet.
(b) Badminton.
(c) Cricket.
(d) Horseshoes.

9. How long was the train ride from Colombo to Jaffna?
(a) 8 hours.
(b) 7 hours.
(c) 6 hours.
(d) 5 hours.

10. How far could a thalagoya leap from a tree to the ground?
(a) 20 ft.
(b) 40 ft.
(c) 5 ft.
(d) 10 ft.

11. How old was Michael when he realized he had slipped past a childhood he had ignored and not understood?
(a) 23.
(b) 34.
(c) Mid 20s.
(d) Mid 30s.

12. How many poisons did William Charles Ondaatje discover in Ceylon?
(a) 45.
(b) 27.
(c) 15.
(d) 55.

13. In 1971, what was the average age of the insurgents?
(a) 17.
(b) 19.
(c) 21.
(d) 15.

14. How many pellets were found in Jessica Cantley's body?
(a) 113.
(b) 143.
(c) 47.
(d) 75.

15. Where did Mervyn and Doris marry?
(a) Kegalle.
(b) Colombo.
(c) Trincomalee.
(d) Kandy.

Short Answer Questions

1. When was Mervyn sent to England to go to college?

2. How many ways were there to describe the smell of a durian fruit?

3. How old was Michael when he left Ceylon?

4. What year did Natalia Asarrapa die?

5. How long was Robert Knox held captive by a Kandyan king?

(see the answer keys)

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