View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Leo notice about the names he originally used?

2. What does Bird tell Alma he believes about himself?

3. Where is the book published?

4. How does Rosa help Zvi?

5. What does Leo do after his heart attack?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Alma first begin her search for Alma Mereminski? What is the result of this search?

2. How does Alma meet Misha? What does she share with Misha?

3. What would Zvi do with his friend frequently?

4. Who does Leo find in his apartment when he returns from the library? What does this person say to him?

5. What is learned about Zvi at the beginning of this chapter?

6. What does Bird tell Alma about the lamed vovniks?

7. What had Isaac found of his mother's? What do these things make him believe?

8. For what does Leo Gursky sign up? What does Bruno think about this?

9. Why does Zvi's friend not show up to meet him?

10. What has Alma learned about Alma Mereminski? What does she believe is the connection between Mereminski and Litvinoff?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One theme is about surviving after a loss.

Part 1) How is this a theme?

Part 2) How do the various characters survive after a loss? Are they able to overcome their grief? Why or why not?

Part 3) How might you survive after a loss? Is there a character whose way of grieving you can understand the most? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Leo becomes famous for loving one woman all his life and writing about it.

Part 1) How does this statement support one or more of the themes?

Part 2) Why has he only loved one woman? What message does this send to the reader?

Part 3) How is this idea of loving one individual echoed throughout this story? What is the purpose of this?

Essay Topic 3

Alma is named after the Alma in The History of Love.

Part 1) Why is she named after this Alma?

Part 2) How might the fact that Alma Mereminski is Alma Singer's namesake affect Alma Singer? How might it influence choices she makes?

Part 3) What other parallel's exist between Alma Mereminski and Alma Singer, besides their names?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 870 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample