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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is a sign to the narrator that the Woman in the Purple Skirt has a job?
(a) She moves to a nicer place.
(b) She wears fancy clothing.
(c) She leaves early and comes home late.
(d) She goes out to restaurants more often.

2. Why does the narrator feel certain the Woman in the Purple Skirt must not be Arishima-san, whom she knew from school?
(a) Arishima-san was a troublemaker who must be in jail.
(b) Arishima-san passed away several years ago.
(c) Arishima-san was her imaginary friend.
(d) Arishima-san moved to Europe.

3. What does the manager tell the staff they need to keep better tabs on during their meeting?
(a) The length of lunch breaks.
(b) The complimentary items for guests.
(c) How quickly they clean rooms.
(d) Their timecards.

4. What family event marked the last time the narrator saw her sister?
(a) Her father's death.
(b) Her parent's divorce.
(c) Her brother's suicide.
(d) Her mother's death.

5. What did the Woman in the Purple Skirt eat for breakfast on her first day of work?
(a) A cream bun.
(b) Rice.
(c) Cornflakes.
(d) Nothing.

Short Answer Questions

1. What had the director gone to school for prior to working at the hotel?

2. What wound does the narrator believe her sister may still have from the time they fought over the last bite of purin?

3. What incident at a supermarket resulted in the narrator no longer going to that market?

4. How often does the staff have their meetings with the manager?

5. How long has it been since the narrator last saw her sister?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the narrator leave on the Woman's park bench to assist in her job hunt?

2. What type of information does the narrator keep track of regarding the Woman in the Purple Skirt?

3. How do the children at the park interact with the Woman in the Purple Skirt at the park? How does she react to them?

4. What does the narrator to do try to get shampoo samples to the Woman? Is she successful?

5. What does the narrator do while the director is training the Woman in the Purple Skirt during her first day of work?

6. In what way does the narrator feel she may have helped the Woman in the Purple Skirt win over the director and supervisor so quickly?

7. Who is Arishima-san? Why does the narrator ultimately decide the Woman in the Purple Skirt cannot be Arishima-san?

8. What surprises the narrator about the Woman in the Purple Skirt after they begin to work together?

9. Describe the interaction between Supervisor Tsukada and the Woman in the Purple Skirt on her first day after she gets her uniform.

10. Who does the narrator follow at the start of the story? Where does she go each week? What does she buy? Where does she sit after?

(see the answer keys)

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