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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which is the best description of Kazu's reaction when she realizes that Yukio has left the café?
(a) Scornful.
(b) Amused.
(c) Frantic.
(d) Unflappable.

2. How old was Yukio when he accepted the wholesaler's offer?
(a) Late twenties.
(b) Early twenties.
(c) Late thirties.
(d) Early thirties.

3. Why is Nagare confused by Kiyoshi's desire to return to the past?
(a) Nagare does not know that Kiyoshi's wife is deceased.
(b) Kiyoshi's religion explicitly forbids anything related to magic.
(c) Nagare is surprised that a detective would believe in time travel.
(d) Kiyoshi has never wanted to give his wife a gift before.

4. Prior to Kiyoshi's trip into the past, how many people have used the café to travel back in time to meet someone who has died?
(a) 41.
(b) 7.
(c) 4.
(d) 17.

5. Whose is Kiyoshi referencing when he talks about the dying man who travels into the future?
(a) Shuichi Kamiya.
(b) Gohtaro Chiba.
(c) Yukio Mita.
(d) Katsuki Kurata.

6. What kind of dancer does the narrator compare Kazu to as she pours the coffee?
(a) A kabuki dancer.
(b) A Shinto shrine dancer.
(c) A flamenco dancer.
(d) A ballerina.

7. Which of the story's motifs is introduced by the Christmas tree and the extra item that Nagare adds to Kyoko's order?
(a) Bereavement.
(b) Missed chances.
(c) Generosity.
(d) Analytical thinking.

8. In Maeterlinck's The Blue Bird, where do Tyltyl and Mytyl encounter the child with the terrible fate?
(a) The Kingdom of Desire.
(b) The Kingdom of Sorrow.
(c) The Kingdom of the Future.
(d) The Kingdom of the Enchanters.

9. On page 71, how does Nagare react to Yukio's sudden appearance in the past?
(a) He is "troubled."
(b) He is "astonished."
(c) He is "gratified."
(d) He is "unfazed."

10. What happens immediately after Yukio leaves the café to make a phone call?
(a) The ghost gets up from her seat.
(b) Nagare bumps into him on the stairs.
(c) Kazu locks the outer door.
(d) He realizes that he has left his phone inside.

11. What lie about the future does Kiyoshi tell Kimiko toward the end of their conversation?
(a) That they go on to have several children.
(b) That he remains a detective.
(c) That the two of them are never separated.
(d) That his trip to the past is future-Kimiko's idea.

12. Near the end of the story, what causes Nagare to drop the tray?
(a) He is startled by Kiyoshi's question about Kazu's pregnancy.
(b) He is relieved that Kiyoshi actually finished his coffee and reappeared.
(c) Miki bumps into him as she is jumping around celebrating her success.
(d) Kazu rushes out of the room because Kiyoshi brings up what happened to Kaname.

13. What detail does the narrator offer about the wholesaler that foreshadows his eventual disappearance?
(a) He does not pay his bills on time.
(b) His business is newly established.
(c) He complains of large debts.
(d) No one in Kyoto has heard of him before.

14. What beverage does Kurata ask Nagare for at the beginning of the story?
(a) Eggnog.
(b) Orange juice.
(c) Matcha.
(d) Cold water.

15. When Miki and Nagare come back to the closed café later that night, what is Kazu doing?
(a) Unwrapping a Christmas gift from her boyfriend.
(b) Polishing the coffee cup that Kurata used.
(c) Standing alone in the dark, in front of her mother's ghost.
(d) Finishing a painting of herself and Kinuyo.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which is the best description of how Yukio feels when he returns to the present?

2. What illness was Kurata diagnosed with two-and-a-half years previously?

3. What wish does Miki write on the tanzaku paper at the beginning of the story?

4. What color is the dress that Miki choose to wear to pour the coffee?

5. Who is the woman running the café when Kiyoshi returns to the past?

(see the answer keys)

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