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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 does Kino's father anticipate about Jiya's crying?

2. In what country does THE BIG WAVE take place?

3. What are Kino and his family doing at the beginning of Section 2?

4. What do Kino and Jiya search for when they play near the water?

5. Who is the prettiest girl Jiya has ever seen?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kino's father remind him about that shows that the land, as well as the sea, is also fearsome?

2. What does Kino's father say about Jiya's crying and what the family will do to let him mourn?

3. Where does Kino live?

4. Who is the Old Gentleman and where does he live?

5. What does Setsu's excitement about Jiya's becoming a part of their family foreshadow?

6. What does Kino's father say about how Jiya will recover one day and how he will carry his deceased family members with him?

7. How does Kino understand that Jiya's father is even afraid of the sea?

8. What does Kino learn from his best friend, Jiya, about why the houses in the fishing village do not have windows facing the sea?

9. What does Kino's father say about every day that comes after the storm?

10. How does Jiya feel when his new family encourages him to sit at the table and eat with them?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Buck uses more than one instance of irony in the book. Cite at least two examples you can identify in the story and note why they are examples of irony.

Essay Topic 2

Create a brief character study of Kino. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point in his life?

Essay Topic 3

Create a brief character study of the Old Gentleman. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him--if anything--at this point in his life?

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