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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 interrupted Theroux's conversation at the Japanese National Railways office?

2. Which religion's festival was banned in India?

3. How much did it cost to go to the Japanese bath?

4. How many feet did the train ascend before descending into the gorge in Chapter 19?

5. What animals scavenged food at the rail station in Toungoo in Chapter 17?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Theroux describe the Burmese government as a Buddhist bureaucracy?

2. What was Theroux's reaction to the sight of the Goktiek Viaduct?

3. Describe the Japanese obsession with the high cost of living in Japan.

4. Why did Theroux say that the Malay smile was misleading?

5. Why were the Vietnamese focused on providing foreign visitors with privileges?

6. What are the differences between Japanese and American consumers?

7. How did Colonel Tuan believe Vietnamese viewed Americans as the war wound down?

8. How was Theroux treated at the hotel in Mandalay?

9. Why were there no skiers on the mountain in Japan, despite the large amount of perfect snow?

10. Describe Theroux's visit to the tourism office in Vietnam.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While most of the trains boarded by Theroux were rather slow and, in many cases old, some of the trains he rode in Japan were extremely fast. As a result, he felt he did not have rich experiences. Did the speed of the trains interfere with his ability to have revealing conversations with others? Or was some of that due to the Japanese character? How would slower trains facilitate conversation?

Essay Topic 2

Theroux encountered phenomenal levels of censorship in Singapore. How did the strong central government control of people's lives affect their personalities? Do you think the control caused the Singaporeans to be rude and aggressive, as Theroux found them to be? Or did their traditional behavior simply make it easier for the government to control them? Theroux wrote that freedom would be threatened by the Singaporean focus on connecting everyone electronically. How do you think Theroux would view the Internet? Has his concern about reduced freedoms come true or have people been able to avoid government control despite the impact of computers?

Essay Topic 3

Theroux described a sense of violence and tribal lawlessness in Afghanistan in the 1970s. In what way did the tribal differences inhibit the development of a peaceful society? Referring to the time Theroux visited Afghanistan, did it appear that outsiders (e.g., the Soviets and the Pakistanis) were manipulating the tribal differences to sow discord? Why was the nation facing a possible war with Pakistan? Was Theroux risking too much by traveling through the country?

(see the answer keys)

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