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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. What color was the uniform insurgents wore?

2. What dance was perfected on a rock at Gasanawa?

3. How long after dawn would the garden be a blaze of heat, frantic with noise and butterflies?

4. What color dress did the Dutch governor's daughter wear when she appeared as a ghost?

5. What game did the insurgents play with Michael's younger sister Susan when they came to Rock Hill?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened at Philip Ondaatje's funeral?

2. What was Mervyn like when his dipsomania would recur?

3. Describe Michael's wildness at his farewell party.

4. What was the heat like in Colombo?

5. Describe the thalagoya.

6. What could Michael see and hear in his friend's house when he awoke from a dream?

7. What would people do after the races were over for the day?

8. Why did a Dutch governor's daughter appear as a ghost?

9. Why did Mervyn take a short trip to Ireland when the university closed down?

10. Describe the engagement ring that Mervyn bought for Doris and Gratiaen and how it was paid for.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lalla and Rene de Saram were friends who were neighbors and became widows. Compare Lalla and Rene.

Essay Topic 2

Michael and the children came upon a dead kabaragoya on the beach. Compare the kabaragoya and the thalagoya.

Essay Topic 3

Michael wrote that his life was shaped by what went on before him. Discuss why Michael believed his life was shaped by what went on before him.

(see the answer keys)

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