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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 did Eustace White take passengers in the newspaper van?

2. How many months did Gilbert have a to share room a small room when he first returned to London in Chapter 19?

3. At the end of Chapter 11, where did frigates, corvettes, warships, troop carriers, and destroyers marshal for the convoy across the ocean?

4. In Chapter 17, where was Gilbert told to sit in a theater?

5. How many gold teeth does Gilbert have?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Gilbert and Hortense wear when they were married?

2. What analogy did Gilbert use to explain why he joined the RAF?

3. What business did Gilbert's mother have and why?

4. What was the worst hardship Gilbert had to put up with when he went into the RAF?

5. Who was the principal of the teacher-training college in Kingston?

6. Why is Queenie frustrated, yet grateful, to Mr. Todd?

7. What were Butchers' Association trips?

8. Why was Hortense not able to get a job at the Church of England school in Kingston?

9. How does Gilbert look when Hortense arrives in England?

10. Who were Hortense's parents?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How does the author use idioms in the book? Why are the idioms sometimes difficult to understand? Why do the idioms often require research to understand their meaning? Why are idioms especially difficult for Hortense to understand?

Essay Topic 2

Colors are sometimes associated with mood. If you could assign a color to represent the mood of Small Island, what color would it be? Why? Would you choose different colors to describe the mood in different sections?

Essay Topic 3

Gilbert experiences segregation, especially when dealing with the U.S. military. What segregation does Gilbert experience when dealing with the U.S. military? Why does he find that segregation to be hypocritical?

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