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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 did Francis de Saram hold in his hand as he died?

2. What did Michael have to eat for lunch when he was at the old governor's home?

3. What color were the walls in the old governor's home in Jaffna?

4. Where did Francis de Saram work?

5. How many poisons did William Charles Ondaatje discover in Ceylon?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Lalla look like when she was at the racetrack?

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

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

4. What were the occupations of Simon Ondaatje and his brothers?

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

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

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

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

9. Describe the tombstone Michael and his family discovered in a church in Colombo.

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

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

Essay Topic 3

When Mervyn was drinking, Doris believed that getting him to stop drinking required total war. Discuss how Doris waged war against Mervyn's drinking.

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