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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was NOT a characteristic of the special class Hyeonseo began taking when she was 15?
(a) The class taught knitting skills.
(b) There were only three girls in the class.
(c) The class taught housekeeping skills.
(d) The class was for girls only.

2. How many broad categories exist within the caste system of songbun?
(a) Four.
(b) Two.
(c) Ten.
(d) Three.

3. What aspect of the songbun system is kept secret from those residing within its levels?
(a) The names of those within the Hostile class.
(b) Precise ranking.
(c) Marriage arrangements.
(d) Job assignments.

4. What is the rough translation of the North Korean ideological term juche?
(a) Self-reliance.
(b) Worship.
(c) Homage.
(d) Greatness.

5. At what age does Hyeonseo witness her first public execution?
(a) Twelve.
(b) Nine.
(c) Fourteen.
(d) Seven.

6. When the Socialist Youth League performed work in the summer, they dug tunnels around Hyeonseo's school. What type of work did they engage in during the other three seasons that year?
(a) Agricultural.
(b) Architectural.
(c) Economic.
(d) Journalistic.

7. A bystander tells Hyeonseo's mother that the near-death experience is a good omen, for someone who survives a disaster at such a young age is sure to what?
(a) Rise to great prominence.
(b) Be happy all her days.
(c) Marry well.
(d) Have a long life.

8. On what type of transport is Hyeonseo's mother traveling when she meets Hyeonseo's father?
(a) A bicycle.
(b) A train.
(c) A trolley.
(d) A plane.

9. To what city does Hyeonseo's family move after leaving Hyesan?
(a) Hamhung.
(b) Anju.
(c) Wonsan.
(d) Pyongyang.

10. What was the title of Hyeonseo's favorite song and is also the title of Chapter 10 of her memoir?
(a) Rocky Island.
(b) Come to Me.
(c) Jailhouse Rock.
(d) Gangnam Style.

11. At what age are North Koreans forced to join the Socialist Youth League?
(a) 14.
(b) 10.
(c) 18.
(d) 12.

12. The author states that once she entered kindergarten, she never again belonged to her parents, but instead belonged to whom?
(a) The state.
(b) Kim Il-sung.
(c) Kim Jong-il.
(d) Her future husband.

13. To what figure is Chapter 14's title referring in its statement that "The great heart has stopped beating" on the chapter's title page?
(a) Kim Jong-un.
(b) Kim Il-sung.
(c) Hyeonseo's father.
(d) Kim Jong-Il.

14. Why does Hyeonseo not start kindergarten in Hyesan as she had thought she would?
(a) Her mother's job is transferred to a new city.
(b) Her father's job is transferred to a new city.
(c) The family's house burns down and they are relocated to a new city.
(d) Her mother decides to teach her at home.

15. What location in Hyesan did Hyeonseo name as a "common site for public executions" (73)?
(a) The riverbank.
(b) The National Museum.
(c) The airport.
(d) The public square.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the sentence given to the family deported for the father's mistake of rolling a cigarette using a piece of newspaper and failing to notice a picture of the Great Leader on the other side of the scrap?

2. At what age does Hyeonseo first visit South Korea?

3. What is NOT a quality named by Hyeonseo in her list of beliefs North Koreans held about The Great Leader before his death?

4. What aspect of Hyeonseo's mother's character does Hyeonseo say is unusual for a woman of high songbun?

5. Why does Hyeonseo's mother carry a candle to the door when meeting Hyeonseo's future father and her future husband for the second time?

(see the answer keys)

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