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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 “The American Embassy,” what number does the woman hold in the line of people outside the American embassy?

2. In “The Shivering,” why does Ukamaka like Chinedu’s presence in her apartment?

3. In “The Shivering,” how long had Ukamaka and Udenna been in a relationship together?

4. In “The Thing Around Your Neck,” how does Akunna get a job after leaving her uncle’s house?

5. In “The Shivering,” where does Ukamaka end up driving Chinedu to, regularly?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “The Shivering,” what is it that brings Chinedu to Ukamaka’s apartment?

2. Who is the You in the story "The Thing Around Your Neck"?

3. Who are the main characters of the short story "Tomorrow is Too Far"?

4. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” what was it that Chinaza liked about the markets in Enugu?

5. In "Tomorrow is Too Far," what had the narrator told her mother to explain how Nonso had died?

6. In “The American Embassy,” why does the woman leave the embassy without completing the interview process?

7. In “The Headstrong Historian,” what were Nwamgba’s parents’ objections to Nwamgba’s choice of Obierika as husband, and how did she overcome them?

8. In “The Arrangers of Marriage,” how does the woman’s name change when she arrives in America?

9. In “The Headstrong Historian,” how does Nwamgba end up sending Anikwenwa to learn English from the mission schools?

10. In “The Shivering,” how does Chinedu explain away Ukamaka’s objections about his logic regarding God’s will?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Adichie include history in her stories, and which histories are most influential in her characters’ lives? How do characters live with their past, their lineage, their childhood? How does the past change as characters grow up and see their lives in more detail?

Essay Topic 2

What topics would you like to research further, after reading The Thing Around Your Neck. Describe why additional research or reading would be beneficial to an understanding of this book. Propose a list of articles or books you would read in order to get a better handle on The Thing Around Your Neck.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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