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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. 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) Analytical thinking.
(d) Generosity.

2. What did Kinuyo sometimes send Yukio in her care packages?
(a) Homemade sweets.
(b) Instant foods.
(c) Letters from his father and sister.
(d) Photos from family events.

3. In the opening of "Husband and Wife," what shape is Nagare folding napkins into?
(a) Turtles.
(b) Frogs.
(c) Tigers.
(d) Cranes.

4. What does Goro think is probably true about Kurata's meeting with Asami?
(a) Kurata had a secret to tell Asami.
(b) Kurata believed that he could change reality by meeting with Asami.
(c) Kurata knew that Asami was lying to him.
(d) Kurata simply wanted one last Christmas memory with Asami.

5. Who bought the café's Christmas tree?
(a) Kazu's boyfriend.
(b) Nagare's wife.
(c) Nagare.
(d) Kazu.

6. How does Miki address Kazu when she asks Kazu about changing her name if she gets married?
(a) Little Sister.
(b) Teacher.
(c) Mademoiselle.
(d) Mistress.

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

8. 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 "unfazed."
(d) He is "gratified."

9. When Yukio arrives in the past, what is Nagare doing?
(a) Talking with a ghost in old-fashioned clothes.
(b) Grinding coffee beans.
(c) Wiping glasses clean.
(d) Waving to a child with a red backpack.

10. Which is the best description of how Yukio feels when he returns to the present?
(a) Exhausted and drained.
(b) Defeated and bewildered.
(c) Irritable and embarrassed.
(d) Renewed and hopeful.

11. Who is the woman running the café when Kiyoshi returns to the past?
(a) Kazu.
(b) Kei.
(c) Kaname.
(d) Kinuyo.

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

13. What sound does the story end with?
(a) Coffee brewing.
(b) Miki singing.
(c) A cricket chirping.
(d) The clocks chiming.

14. What distinctive item of clothing does Kiyoshi wear?
(a) A jadeite ring.
(b) A string tie.
(c) A hunting cap.
(d) A leather jacket.

15. What is unusual about Kurata's time-travel plans?
(a) He is not sure of exactly when he wants to travel to.
(b) He is meeting another time-traveler.
(c) He is traveling into the future.
(d) He wants to bring something back with him.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Yukio regret it immediately after he blurts out that it looks as if Kinuyo has lost weight?

2. Who saved Yukio's life by performing CPR on him when he nearly drowned?

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

4. When "Husband and Wife" opens, about how long has it been since the events of "Best Friend" took place?

5. What is Kinuyo's interpretation of Kazu's intentions in adding the stirrer to Yukio's cup and asking him to pass on her regards to his mother?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 626 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample