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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. What did the Germans refuse to purchase for the pigs?

2. What print did Antonina prefer for her clothing?

3. Where did Ewa Brzuska (Granny) hide Jews who were on their way to other locations?

4. How did Rys first hear about the impending war?

5. What language was illegal to speak in Warsaw during the German occupation?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why did the Zabinskis frequently invite non-Jewish visitors to the villa?

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

4. How does the author describe the sounds of the zoo in the morning before the war?

5. What was special about the baby elephant Tuzinka?

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

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

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

9. How did Antonina describe her friend Magdalena?

10. Why did Lutz Heck want to re-create the aurochs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Music is mentioned frequently in The Zookeeper’s Wife. Write an essay that discusses the importance of music in Antonina’s life and how she used it to help her Guests endure the war.

Essay Topic 2

Explain the importance of codenames to the Underground. Why do they use them? What do the names reveal about the people they are chosen for? Provide examples of codenames and explain their meanings.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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