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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Besides a love of insects, what does the narrator say links Japanese culture to the other culture discussed in the opening of "Mother and Son"?
(a) Traditional foods.
(b) Language features.
(c) Traditional etiquette.
(d) Pottery techniques.

2. What is the name of the time-traveling café?
(a) Hakuna Matata.
(b) Que Sera Sera.
(c) Auld Lang Syne.
(d) Funiculi Funicula.

3. What causes Gohtaro to panic when he first realizes he has returned to the past?
(a) He sees the ghost in another seat.
(b) His coffee is already cold.
(c) He does not see Shuichi.
(d) His body still feels as if it is falling.

4. When Gohtaro and Shuichi first meet again in the past, how does Gohtaro see himself acting in front of his old friend?
(a) Awed.
(b) Indifferent.
(c) Shy.
(d) Angry.

5. What is an "onomatopoeic expression" (47)?
(a) One that conveys a comparison indirectly.
(b) One that imitates the sound of the thing it names.
(c) One that conveys emphasis by understating a feeling.
(d) One that imitates a feeling generated by the thing it names.

Short Answer Questions

1. What error does Gohtaro almost make when he sees how red Shuichi's eyes are after Shuichi understands that Gohtaro has come back in time?

2. Who convinces Gohtaro to finally go inside the café?

3. What is Kyoko's reaction to Kazu asking about her brother?

4. On page 36, as soon as Gohtaro presses the record button, what does Shuichi say?

5. What motivates Shuichi to comment about what a nice suit Gohtaro is wearing?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Kyoko not interested in using the café's time-traveling service to go back in time to try to fix the problem with her brother?

2. How did Kyoko end up becoming a regular at the café, and why does her son not come with her anymore?

3. What warning does Kazu give Gohtaro about remembering to drink his coffee?

4. How does the subject of Kyoko's son Yohsuke come up in conversation?

5. What does Kyoko reveal about her brother's reaction to their mother's death?

6. Before Gohtaro goes into the past, what is his plan to deal with the revelations that will occur upon Haruka's marriage?

7. Why does Haruka's plan to marry mean that she will inevitably discover her true parentage?

8. How does the juxtaposition of the made-up lyrics to Miki's song with Kyoko's emotions after her confession about her brother highlight Kyoko's distress?

9. How did Shuichi's and Gohtaro's lives take different paths after college?

10. How does the exchange between Kyoko and Kazu about Kazu's boyfriend characterize both women?

(see the answer keys)

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