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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. How does Kit respond when Tunner wraps his arms around her on the train?

2. When not traveling, where do Port and Kit live?

3. Which of the following is NOT something Tunner offers to Kit as means of comfort of the bumpy train ride?

4. What emotion does Port feel at daybreak?

5. What beverage does Smail offer to Port after his walk?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Kit respond when Port does not come home the morning after their big fight?

2. What is the travelers' first impressions of the town of Ain Krofra?

3. How does Port feel when he wakes up from his nap in the opening scene of the novel?

4. What woman does Port fall in love with while at the brothel before leaving for Bou Noura?

5. What does Kit see when she runs, panicked, through the train?

6. What is Port's first impression of Eric Lyle?

7. How does Tunner attempt to comfort Kit when she is nervous on their train ride to Boussif?

8. How does Lieutenant D'Armagnac react when hears that Port's passport has been stolen?

9. How does Port describe Oran?

10. Who is Mohammad?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, Kit has sexual relationships with many men who randomly enter her life. Choose one of the men that Kit has a relationship with and explain what Kit gained from this encounter. Then, compare/contrast that to another relationship Kit has in the novel. What does she gain from this encounter? At the end of the novel, does Kit feel empowered by her sexual dalliances or broken by them? Explain how you can tell citing examples from the text to strengthen your arguments.

Essay Topic 2

While Kit and Port are struggling through their travels in Africa, they meet many locals who are willing to help them find their way. Choose one of these helpful locals and describe how they risked their lives to help the foreign travelers. Why was this type of aid unusual given the political energy in the air during the war?

Essay Topic 3

At the opening of the novel, Kit is practically housebound, refusing to leave the hotel in Africa. First, describe what led Kit to live a life consumed with such fear. Then, explain how over the course of the novel, Kit began to own her life again. Choose at least two scenes in the novel that you think demonstrate Kit's character growth and explain how these scenes let to her ultimate transformation at the end of the novel.

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