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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. What color hair does the woman have that Nora sees in her apartment in "Fire?

2. What is the name of the town where Nora and Dan have a pub?

3. When Nora was in school, what sport did she used to compete in?

4. What is the name of Nora's flatmate in "Fire"?

5. In "The Only Way to Learn Is to Live," where does Nora find Voltaire?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who comes to Nora's door in "The Man at the Door, and why does he come to see Nora?

2. What does Nora learn about her parents in "The Successful Life"?

3. In "The Tree That Is Our Life," what does Nora say about life?

4. What does Nora realize as she sips wine in "Antimatter"?

5. Why are there no lives where Voltaire is still alive?

6. In "The Chessboard," what seems different to Nora when she returns to the library?

7. In "Fire," what does Nora remember that she had loved about swimming?

8. What does the building look like where Nora finds herself at midnight after her decision to end her life?

9. What does Nora remember that her father said when she told him that she would no longer compete in swimming?

10. At the end of "The Chessboard," what life does Nora wish to try next?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A favorite song for fans of The Labyrinths is “Howl.” What does the song reveal about success and happiness?

Essay Topic 2

In one of Nora’s lives, she is working in the arctic. How close is Nora to nature when she is working in the arctic? Why is it difficult for Nora to accept herself? What does she learn about accepting herself and others from working with nature in the arctic?

Essay Topic 3

In the novel, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the story line? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

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