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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. In "The Moon," what is thrown into The Happy Fig?

2. In "Fig Tree," when was the last great cyclone?

3. During what month in 1956 were there 416 terror attacks?

4. How much older was Meryem than Defne?

5. How long does it take worms and microorganisms to produce an inch of soil?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened to the trees that used to cover Cyprus?

2. What is Kostas' career, and what does he do?

3. What partition divides Nicosia?

4. What does Defne wear when she sneaks out to see Kostas in "Lovers"?

5. What happened that summer when Archbishop Makarios was overthrown?

6. Who contacts the fig tree in the night on page 99, and why?

7. What happened to The Happy Fig in May 1974?

8. What is the name of the partition that cuts through Cyprus and why?

9. In "Loneliness," what message does Ada get on her phone?

10. What does the fig tree remember that Yusuf gave Yiorgos for his birthday?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Imagery is a literary device authors use to describe something using the five senses to help readers experience what a character is experiencing. How does Shafak use imagery to help readers imagine the world and characters she has created?

Essay Topic 2

Defne decided to have her baby. How and why did that decision cause shame for her family, especially her father?

Essay Topic 3

Panagiota has superstitious rules she follows to try to prevent bad things from happening. In what way are both Panagiota and Meryem superstitious? How does superstition affects their lives and how they live?

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This section contains 825 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample