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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. Who is the protagonist of the story?

2. Who says, "Best friends don't quarrel" when Selam begins to cry?

3. Who tells this story?

4. What does the narrator do when she first sees Selam at her apartment?

5. What is the narrator looking for at Selam's apartment building?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who are the narrator and Selam and what is their relationship?

2. Who is Hadiya and how does she impact the relationship between the narrator and Selam?

3. What does the narrator experience on the day her parents inform her she can no longer play with Selam?

4. How is the story, "What Language is That"? different from the other stories in this book?

5. Why are the passengers on the bus infused with a sense of urgency?

6. Why does Akpan choose second person narration for the story?

7. What is the main point of the story, "What Language is That"?

8. How does Jubril disguise his being a Muslim while on the bus?

9. Who is Jubril and why must he disguise his religious identity aboard a bus headed out of the city?i

10. What is the message of the story at the end?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a character study of Maisha in "An Ex-Mas Feast (Kenya)". What are her physical characteristics? What are her motivations? What are her fears? What are her dreams? What else can you say about Maisha?

Essay Topic 2

What is the significance of the book's title? What are some other possible titles for the book. List at least five and cite your reasons for each.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of disappointment. Identify at least two characters in the stories who either embody or experience disappointment then cite an example to support your answers.

(see the answer keys)

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