View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In any of the memories he has from before his obsession began, Nabokov cannot recall the presence of butterflies. What can he recall afterward?
(a) He is constantly finding new species.
(b) He cannot remember the outdoors without them.
(c) Not very many butterflies, because most Russian varieties are extinct.
(d) He cannot find nearly as many butterflies as he thought he would.

2. What game does the whole family often play on the estate?
(a) Rounders.
(b) Lawn tennis.
(c) Badmitton.
(d) Lawn bowling.

3. To what simple rule does Nabokov's mother ascribe?
(a) Be honest and things will go your way.
(b) Love with all your soul and leave the rest to fate.
(c) Love your neighbors as yourself.
(d) Follow the Golden Rule.

4. To what does the memory of the bracelet lead?
(a) An important memory about Mademoiselle.
(b) An important memory about his mother.
(c) An important memory about his father.
(d) An important memory about Colette.

5. During one such trip in the summer of 1909, who does young Nabokov meet?
(a) A young German girl, named Brigitte.
(b) A young Spanish girl, named Clara.
(c) A young French girl, named Colette.
(d) A young British girl, named Beth.

6. To whom is Chapter Five devoted?
(a) Nabokov's wife.
(b) Nabokov's governess.
(c) Nabokov's father.
(d) Nabokov's mother.

7. What does this hobby do to him?
(a) It encourages him to spend time outside.
(b) It helps him make friends.
(c) It encourages him to study.
(d) It isolates him throughout life.

8. This chapter is the first recorded work, published in French in 1936, under the name "Mademoiselle O."
(a) Chapter Two.
(b) Chapter Seven.
(c) Chapter Four.
(d) Chapter Five.

9. What has Nabokov always had difficulty doing?
(a) Eating.
(b) Speaking in public.
(c) Sleeping.
(d) Writing.

10. Who are some of the ancestors on Nabokov's paternal, Russian side?
(a) A lawyer, scientist, and Dmitri Nabokov, a well-known actor.
(b) An explorer, the sister of a prominent Decembrist, and Dmitri Nabokov, the author's grandfather, who served as Minister of Justice for eight years.
(c) A government leader, an opera singer, and Dmitri Nabokov, the surgeon.
(d) A prominent Caholic cardinal, a physician, and Dmitri Nabokov, an inventor.

11. When does Nabokov see Mademoiselle again after she is no longer in their household?
(a) In Paris right before the war.
(b) In New York after the family emigrates to the U.S.
(c) In London while Nabokov is at Cambridge.
(d) In Lausanne after the war.

12. Why does Vasiliy insist upon lying supine on the floor?
(a) He claims it stretches out his spine.
(b) He claims it helps him breathe better.
(c) He claims it relieves his chest pains.
(d) He claims it improves his posture.

13. Where do the children bathe?
(a) Russian baths.
(b) The creek on the estate.
(c) English portable tubs.
(d) French bathing tubs.

14. What does Nabokov's mother do on the trip to Paris?
(a) Sleeps.
(b) Plays games with her children.
(c) Talks to her husband.
(d) Watches as Russian, and then German, towns glide by.

15. After his retirement, from what does Dimitri Nabokov begin to suffer?
(a) Heart disease.
(b) Arthritis.
(c) Emphysema.
(d) Dementia.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the rain cause to grow on the estate?

2. In exile in America, when a ranger or marshal spots him traipsing into the backwoods, net in hand, what is he asked?

3. From where is the family returning to Russia?

4. They board the Sud-Express and disembark in what town?

5. What is happening to the science of butterflies at this time?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 602 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample