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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where does Kostka live?
(a) In the same hotel Ludvik is staying in.
(b) A two-room flat in another town 30 miles away.
(c) He has a room in the hospital.
(d) A bachelor flat in a new complex.

2. When did Ludvik meet Marketa?
(a) Around 1940.
(b) Around 1958.
(c) Around 1948.
(d) Around 1945

3. The day following their one-day reunion, Ludvik phones Marketa. What happens?
(a) A stranger tells Ludvik that Marketa moved to Bratislava.
(b) A stranger tells Ludvik that Marketa moved to Prague.
(c) Marketa makes a date with him that night.
(d) Marketa makes a date with him that weekend.

4. Where does the narrator go after he leaves the town square?
(a) His old school.
(b) To see a dear friend.
(c) His hotel.
(d) His mother's house.

5. What does the river in Moravia look like?
(a) Crystal clear water.
(b) It is full of fish.
(c) It has dried up completely.
(d) Viscous clay.

Short Answer Questions

1. After Ludvik's meeting with the board he is prompted by a Communist friend to go see who?

2. Where is the man Ludvik asks for at the booth at the gate of the hospital?

3. What is the name of Helena's daughter?

4. How much money does Ludvik pull out of his pocket to pay the woman for his shave?

5. How did Helena meet Zemanek?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens during Ludvik's shave that changes the experience for him, and how does Ludvik react to the rest of his shave?

2. Why don't Helena's coworkers like her?

3. How does Ludvik take the first part of his shave?

4. After their second meeting, Ludvik tells Helena that he is going to pick her up in front of the station the following day. What did they do on this outing?

5. Why did Ludvik send Marketa the postcard?

6. Describe the story of the dwarfs Ludvik told Marketa.

7. How is Ludvik's attitude immediately following his move to Ostrava?

8. What is Helena's credo?

9. Describe the circumstances under which Helena fell in love with Zemanek.

10. What is the relationship between Kostka and Ludvik like?

(see the answer keys)

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