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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 say about Jiya?

2. What does the big wave eradicate?

3. Kino's father says that ______________ makes a man weak.

4. The way of the good Japanese is to enjoy life and ________________________.

5. Why will many villagers stay at home during the emergency?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kino's father tell him when Kino asks if they must always be afraid of something?

2. Why do Kino and his family surround Jiya as he begins to awaken?

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

4. What is Kino's father's response when Kino says he doesn't think that Jiya can ever be happy again?

5. What does Kino want to do with Jiya after they eat dinner?

6. How does Kino's father respond when Kino thinks it is cruel for the sky and sea to be calm again?

7. Summarize the story in The Big Wave.

8. Why does Kino's father say they must wait for Jiya?

9. How does Kino's father divert Kino's thoughts from the destruction of the big wave?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Explain the significance of the book's title. What did the author mean by calling the book THE BIG WAVE? Cite an example to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

What is the role of the Old Gentleman in the story? What does he represent for the villagers? Is he smart but possibly not so wise when it comes to human relations and the human spirit?

(see the answer keys)

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