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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. Where does the ship land after a long time at sea in Chapter 60?

2. What does Twain call Palestine?

3. What temples do the travelers visit in Baalbek?

4. What does the group rename the city of Ain Mellahah?

5. Who do the travelers drop in on to say hello while they are in Odessa?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is it about Odessa that pleasantly surprises Twain and the other passengers?

2. Baalbek's landscape is dotted with temples and ancient escarpments, making the location feel timeless and overwhelming. How do Twain and his friends feel about Baalbek?

3. Twain finds himself quoting the writer of "Life in the Holy Land" referring to Palestine as monotonous and uninviting. However, Twain also offers his own description of Palestine. How does he feel about the area?

4. Expecting the worst on the trip to Sevastopol, the group is on alert and a bit scared about what might happen. Describe the group's experience and how they react to the Russians.

5. As the caravan gets closer to Baalbek, Twain begins to tell relevant stories from the Bible. What stories does Twain relate, and how does he feel about the Syrians at this point in the story?

6. On the one-year anniversary of the excursion, Twain returns to say an encore farewell. What does he say about the trip, and what advice does he give future excursionists?

7. The group takes a trip to the Egyptian pyramids. What is their reaction to the pyramids, and what object garners the most admiration from the travelers? How much do they admire this object?

8. The travelers finally reach Nazareth, once said to be home of the Holy Family. What does Twain do to try to make the significance of the place more real for him? Does his method appear to work?

9. Describe the chaos in Constantinople as seen by Twain.

10. Though the excursion is now complete, Twain and several of his friends feel that there is something missing. Where do they decide to go and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shechem seems to be a very original place. Describe the people and atmosphere of Shechem. Why do you think the people follow the customs that they do? Compare/contrast the Mount of Blessings and the Mount of Curses. From what do you think their names originated? Why? Do you think Twain is impressed with Shechem and its people? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Compare/contrast the group's journey through the Holy Land to their journey through France. Though there are some very similar encounters/situations, the Holy Land tour appears to be more appealing to the group overall. What factors do you think contribute to the group's favoring the Holy Land over France? Or, if you believe the opposite to be true, explain why and site examples from the text to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

The ship is quarantined at or away from the dock more often than not. What is the reason for this? Do you believe it is a necessary precaution? Why or why not? How do the passengers react? When some sneak off the boat to visit the country anyway, do you feel their act is immoral, if not reckless? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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