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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. Who ruled Warsaw after the surrender?

2. What were the racist laws that governed how much Jewish blood a person could have without being "tainted" called?

3. What area of the city was directly across the river from the zoo?

4. According to legend, what did the word Poland sound like in Hebrew that made the Jews want to go there?

5. What was the name of the river that bordered the zoo?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Jan suggest that the zoo be used to raise pigs?

2. What was special about the baby elephant Tuzinka?

3. Why did Antonina compare herself to a lioness when she was staying with her sister-in-law?

4. Why did Jan feel such a strong connection with the Jews?

5. What was unusual about the baby badger that Antonina raised?

6. Why did Jan purposely draw attention to himself when he was thanking Ziegler for bringing him to the Ghetto to see Szymon Tenenbaum?

7. Why were the Warsaw Zoo’s polar bears shot by Polish soldiers?

8. Why did the Resistance use cryptonyms?

9. Why was Antonina shocked by what Lutz Heck said about Germany’s chances of the war?

10. Why did Antonina initially turn down Lutz Heck’s offer of help for the zoo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining the significance of the title of the book. Why did the author choose to write about Antonina rather than Jan? How does making Jan the protagonist of the book support Ackerman’s themes?

Essay Topic 2

Wicek and Kuba play important roles in the lives of the Zabinskis as well as in Ackerman’s development of themes and statements about human behavior. Write an essay that explains the importance of these animals, how the author uses them to develop themes, and what she suggests about human behavior through these animals.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses several Biblical references in describing the villa. Write an essay examining the use of those references and why the author uses them.

(see the answer keys)

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