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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. Where are the refugees coming from?
(a) The Steppes.
(b) The western front.
(c) The eastern front.
(d) From Italy.

2. What are usually Lore's first and last thoughts of the day?
(a) Mutti's health.
(b) Vati.
(c) The war's end.
(d) The farmer's son.

3. What runs through Helmut's mind as he looks for his parents after the bombings?
(a) The possibility that they might be dead.
(b) To not let his parents see him cry.
(c) That he will work harder for them if he gets to see them again.
(d) That they might be outside of Berlin.

4. How do Helmut's parents deny his birth defect?
(a) They see a second doctor.
(b) They tell Helmut it is all in his mind.
(c) The parents push him to be normal.
(d) They ignore Helmut as he grows up.

5. Why is Mutti "clever" for having something on the table every night?
(a) She helps Helmut's arm get stronger.
(b) Mutti is a busy woman with a full-time job.
(c) Mutti is a first-class chef.
(d) She is able to make dinner despite their poverty.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Helmut find safety after the second bombing is over?

2. Who helps Helmut obtain consistent food?

3. What causes Helmut to smile for the first time in a photo?

4. What is Helmut's secret agenda regarding the photos he takes of Berlin?

5. Who commits suicide just days after Helmut's last photo?

Short Essay Questions

1. Refugees come through Berlin and some speak of a brutal Soviet army the size of a continent. Others deny their truths and say it is not so. Why is it hard to know what is true and what is not? Who is right?

2. When the farmer's son taunts Lore and pushes her down, the twins throw rocks at him. What does this show about the children?

3. As part of Papi's pay, Gladigau takes family portraits while Helmut grows up. How do the family portraits play a role in this story and what progression is observed from when Helmut is a newborn to the last individual photo?

4. Germany is in the midst of war and has been for several years. The second bombing that Helmut experiences is the worst so far. Describe the new changes and routine to which the inhabitants of Berlin must adapt.

5. Helmut is not strong or smart. Yet, there are indications that Helmut is clever about getting what he wants. Give an example of how Helmut shows his clever ways.

6. Helmut notices the city is emptying. More people are leaving on the trains and less are returning. This is a mystery and Seiffert never explicitly offers an explanation. Why not?

7. On the first day of their trip to Oma's, Juri twists an ankle. How does this foreshadow the rest of the journey?

8. Lore asks the woman for more food for her siblings but the woman initially responds with a look of possible fear. Why might the woman be afraid?

9. When the family eats their soup, Juri shyly offers his bread to Tomas. What does this indicate about Juri and his family?

10. Mutti and Papi love their son, but there is a stubborn denial that there is anything wrong with Helmut. What does it finally take them to accept the truth and how do they handle it?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,600 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample