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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. What is Leamas' political philosophy?

2. During Leamas' meeting with Control, what is revealed as Leamas' job for the last few years?

3. What cover job does Kiever offer Leamas?

4. After publicly leaving his job in Chapter 3, what does Leamas do?

5. What country has Leamas NOT lived in?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Kiever make Leamas' fake passport expire so soon?

2. In Chapter 5, why does Leamas tell Liz to leave and never come back?

3. Leamas sees something when he leaves Liz's apartment after spending the night for the first time. What does it tell Leamas?

4. How does Leamas react to what happens when Karl tries to cross the border in Chapter 1?

5. Name 3 things you learn about Leamas' life in Chapter 8.

6. Describe the choice Leamas makes in Chapter 3 about who he hangs out with. Why does he make that choice.

7. When Fiedler asks Leamas about his political philosophy, how does Leamas respond?

8. Does Leamas' personal life seem in conflict or in line with his professional life? Why?

9. How might the relationship between Miss Crail and Leamas be described? What makes it that way?

10. What does Leamas think about his career on his flight to London to meet with Control?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Research the basics of le Carre's life and explore how his personal and professional life may have had an impact on the story. Explain how le Carre's depiction of Leamas, the world of secret intelligence, and East Germany may have been shaped by specific examples from le Carre's own personal background and experiences.

Essay Topic 2

Write a 2-3 page essay arguing that Leamas is a good man. Use at least 3 examples from the story to provide evidence for your argument. Then, write a 2-3 page essay arguing that Leamas is a bad man. Again, use at least 3 examples from the story to provide evidence for your argument.

Essay Topic 3

The title of the book can be seen as having multiple meanings. Take a position about what you think the title means, and provide examples from the text that demonstrate Leamas' time "in the cold," a time when he is considering coming in from the cold, and a time when he has clearly come in from the cold.

(see the answer keys)

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