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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. How long has Stephanos been running a half-way house?

2. How old was Mamush when he and Elsa first met?

3. What is Samuel's room at the halfway house filled with?

4. In Chapter 22, how long ago was the front end of Samuel's cab smashed?

5. When Mamush got a hotel in Chicago, what flag was on the wall of the reception area?

Short Essay Questions

1. What story does Samuel tell Mamush about a soldier and a woman from Ethiopia?

2. When Mamush had called Samuel to tell him that he was coming home for Christmas, what issues was Samuel having with his cab?

3. Why was it important for Samuel to keep his cab clean, but not too clean?

4. What picture does Hannah send Mamush when he is sitting in a cab near Elsa and Samuel's home?

5. Why did Samuel tell Mamush to never apologize for anything?

6. Where does the man in the gray suit that Mamush met at Elsa's take him?

7. How did Samuel try to teach Mamush not to be afraid?

8. What changes did Mamush notice as he walked where the corner store used to be near his mother and his apartment in Chicago?

9. What did Mamush remember about parking with Samuel when he was 12 or 13?

10. What happened when the police came to arrest Samuel when Mamush and his mother lived in Chicago?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The title of the book is Someone Like Us; it suggests various themes Mengestu expands upon in the novel. What does the title of the book convey about various themes in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Idioms are words that have a figurative, rather than a literal meaning. How are idioms used in Someone Like Us? How do idioms help create word pictures and mental images for readers in a concise manner? How do idioms help readers understand people, emotions, events, or ideas?

Essay Topic 3

Accumulation is a literary device that allows an author to gather scattered ideas in a literary work and gradually build on information readers need to know. What information does Mamush provide as he tells his story? How does each section add information? How does Mengestu use accumulation to advance the plot and provide important details to readers?

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