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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. Who are the first Trekboers to encounter members of the Xhosa tribe?

2. What is the Old Seeker's spear made out of in Chapter Two?

3. At what age do the men in Gumsto's tribe marry?

4. What tree do the burghers plant around the Dutch colony to protect their cattle and keep out the rest of Africa?

5. How do Adriaan and Seena Van Doorn meet Dr. Nels Linnart from Sweden?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Paul de Prè achieve his goal of acquiring the Van Doorn estate of Trianon, and why do his sons not inherit it after him?

2. What mistake do the English make in their care of the prisoners they take in their battles with the Dutch?

3. What is the significance of Zimbabwe's origins to Cecil Rhodes' arguments for English rule of South Africa?

4. When Tjaart Van Doorn and the other Voortrekkers leave their farms, why does the Church not support them?

5. How does Simon Kerr influence Hilary Saltwood's desire to be a missionary and his life in Africa once he becomes a missionary?

6. What is life like for black South Africans under apartheid and Detleef Van Doorn's new laws?

7. What roles do women have in the San tribe?

8. How do the Dutch respond when Chinese workers are recruited to work the mines?

9. How does Paulus De Groot influence Detlev Van Doorn's education?

10. What is Philip Saltwood hired to do and where does he eventually find what he is seeking?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the influence of the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the English on South Africa. What does each country want in South Africa? How does religion influence each country's settlement of South Africa? What is life like in South Africa under the rule of each country? Do black South Africans fare better under one country's rule than another's or are they treated relatively the same by all three European nations? Which country do you think handles their rule over South Africa the best, and why? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

The Covenant by James Michener begins with the San tribe in the rugged bush country during the earliest days of South African history. What do you think Michener is saying about life in South Africa prior to the advent of European settlers in his depiction of the San tribe? How does the land and the climate affect life for the tribe? What is the tribe's main concern? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

The Covenant contains a number of instances of irony. Cite at least three examples of irony in the novel, and explain how it is used to indicate events to come.

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