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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. Why does Yuki feel queasy on the day of the wedding?

2. How does Yuki feel about her father's new bride?

3. What do Yuki and her Aunt Aya do together just before the wake?

4. How has Yuki spent her summer Sundays?

5. What does Yuki do after changing her clothes on the day of the wake?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Yuki decide against thanking her father for letting her attend Aya's wedding?

2. What is the first scene at the beginning of Chapter 7?

3. Is Hideki affectionate toward Yuki?

4. Why does Yuki feel like she must go to a college that is far away from her parents?

5. What does Hideki appreciate about the ritual of burning in Chapter 13?

6. In Chapter 15, Yuki convinces herself that what she feels for Isamu is only friendship. Is Yuki telling the truth?

7. Are Hanae's hostile actions toward Yuki justified in Chapter 8?

8. What kind of personality does the young Tadashi have? What does he represent?

9. What are Hideki's emotions when Yuki leaves for college?

10. What happens at the end of Chapter 2 after Yuki changes her clothes for the wake?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the book benefits from the author's choice to include flashbacks within many of the chapters.

Part 1) Why are the flashbacks important in defining characters? What are some examples when a flashback has brought new and interesting facts about a character to light?

Part 2) When considering the novel's overall theme of remembrance, why are flashbacks an appropriate vehicle for the story?

Part 3) What are the disadvantages to including flashbacks? What are the merits?

Essay Topic 2

Write the following essay from the first person point of view of Yuki.

• Why is honesty so important to you?

• Have you ever regretted being honest? If so, why? Have you ever regretted being dishonest? If so, why?

• Of the adults in your life, who is the most honest? Who is the least honest?

• If those around you were as honest as you, how would this impact your relationships?

Essay Topic 3

For a young person, Yuki lives with a great deal of regret. Write an essay in which you explore the impact of this particular burden on Yuki. What is Yuki's biggest regret? What does she regret more, her actions or her words? Why? Do other characters regret their actions or words? If so, how do their regrets compare to those of Yuki?

(see the answer keys)

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