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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 is Tridib studying for his PhD?

2. How often might Tridib's parents spend a month or two in Calcutta?

3. When the narrator meets Nick Price, how long has it been since an incendiary bomb fell on Lymington Mansions and burned down two floors?

4. Where did Ila want to go before Robi went back to Darjeeling?

5. When Tridib first talked to the narrator about his journey to England, how old was Tridib?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the story of a very large table that is stored at the old family house in Raibajar?

2. Why did the narrator nearly get expelled from college?

3. How does Tha'mma keep the flat where the family lives so they cannot waste their time?

4. In Ila's story when she and the narrator were nine, what happened to Magda?

5. Why is Tha'mma wrong when she says that Tridib lives in his crumbling house doing nothing?

6. How has Solent Lane changed since Tridib was there?

7. What does Nick say about Kuwait?

8. When the narrator is nine, how long does Tridib stay away from Gole Park, and what reason does he give for his absence?

9. When Ila's family would come back to Calcutta for a holiday, what souvenirs would they bring?

10. What is the room like where Mrs. Price directs the narrator when he visits?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tha’mma has a tendency to jump to conclusions. What are some examples of times when Tha’mma jumps to conclusions? How does she base her conclusions on appearances? How do appearances deceive her and make her draw incorrect conclusions?

Essay Topic 2

Cliffhangers are a literary device that leave readers wondering what will happen next. How does the author use cliffhangers in the novel? How do cliffhangers create suspense?

Essay Topic 3

Ila and Nick marry. When does Nick begin having affairs? How does Ila face the fact that he is having an affair? How does the way that she handles the issue affect the marriage and her relationship with Nick?

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