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 did Hung make a dummy of?

2. Which of the following is a question the children asked about Tank?

3. When is the only time a tiger will attack a wild hog?

4. What did the author name his buffalo?

5. What color clothing did Nhuong wear to camoflague himself from the otters?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are otter cubs so prized?

2. How did the thieves make sure that Tank could not thrash around and snap the rope that tied him to the tree?

3. What would it have meant if Tank was killed by the bull in the section?

4. How did the villagers travel from other villages and towns?

5. How did the female otter protect her cubs?

6. Why were tigers such a nuisance to the villagers?

7. How did Tank escape the thieves?

8. How did Mr. Short lose his tail?

9. Why are lone wild hogs more dangerous than a herd of wild hogs?

10. How did the crocodile attack the villagers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Identify the main themes of the story. In what way are these themes relevant to the period? How does the author use character and setting to express these themes?

Essay Topic 2

Choose one of the following questions to write a 400 word essay.

1. What do you think of Nhuang's treatment of animals in the book?

2. How do you think the war will effect Nhuang's life?

3. What do you think were the differences between rural and urban Vietnam during the 1940s?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the differences between the novel and autobiography formats. What are the main elements of a book? What are the main elements of an autobiography? What can novelists express that an autobiographer cannot? How can autobiographies keep to the facts while still maintaining a level of entertainment?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 737 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample