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

2. How long after Michael awoke from a dream in a house near Lake Ontario, did he have a farewell party for his trip to Ceylon?

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

4. What color was the uniform insurgents wore?

5. What time did Mervyn's parents arrive at his apartment unannounced when they came to England to confront him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Mervyn do instead of attending college in England?

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

3. Why was Noel Gratiaen sent down from Oxford after his first year?

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

5. Describe how a visitor would approach the old governor's house.

6. In the introduction to Chapter 1, what nightmare did Michael experience?

7. Under what condition, did a friend tell Michael that he seemed to know exactly what he wanted?

8. What transpired when Simon Ondaatje and his brothers would gather on Sunday mornings?

9. Describe the kabaragoya Michael and the children found dead on the beach.

10. How did Michael feel when he awoke from a friend's house near Lake Ontario?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Michael referred to Lalla as an eccentric. Discuss eccentricity and why Lala was considered to be eccentric.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Mervyn had an obsession with trains. Discuss why Mervyn's train rides became notorious.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 808 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample