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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. In “Cell One,” what does the narrator say her brother said when she asked him if he was in a gang?

2. In “A Private Experience,” who was Chika with in the market when riots broke out?

3. In “Imitation,” how does Nkem say it came to pass that she raised the children alone in the U.S.?

4. In “On Monday of Last Week,” what was Kamara studying when she met Tobechi at university?

5. In “Ghosts,” when did Professor Nwoye and his wife return to their home, after fleeing?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “Imitation,” what does Obiora feel about the children preserving Nigerian customs in America?

2. In “On Monday of Last Week,” how does the narrator characterize Neil’s parenting?

3. In “Ghosts,” what is the business Professor Nwoye has come to the university to see about?

4. Is Nkem victorious at the end of "Imitation"?

5. In “Jumping Monkey Hill,” how does Edward get on Ujunwa’s wrong side?

6. In “Cell One,” why was the narrator’s brother arrested?

7. In “Jumping Monkey Hill,” what debate does Edward start with his statements about the Senegalese writer’s story?

8. In “Cell One,” what happened when the narrator’s parents confronted the second thief?

9. In “A Private Experience,” what does the narrator tell the reader about the fate of Nnedi?

10. In “Imitation,” what is the importance of the Benin masks in Nkem’s house?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is missing from this book? What should have been covered or presented that was not? What is the effect of this absence? Describe an element that ought to have been covered, and explain why it would have made the book stronger.

Essay Topic 2

In many stories, there are two different languages being spoken by different characters, and these languages mean different things to different people. Choose three stories and discuss the different vocabularies and sets of meanings that create gaps between people’s understanding. How do the various narrators characterize the differences between languages, whether they be male and female, English and Igbo, African and American?

Essay Topic 3

Write a character sketch of the author based on her style and content. What can we tell about her, based on the choices she makes in terms of description, characterization and plot? What values does she hold dear? What are her hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think she is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.

(see the answer keys)

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