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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. How does the book store owner surprise Mayle?

2. Mayle reminds his wife that he __________ picnics, based on his experiences in London.

3. How does Mayle's wife feel when Mayle suggests that they should search for the owner?

4. Over the next several weeks, Mayle's wife stalks the dog, who she learns spends time ______________ where it can feed off scraps.

5. After returning home from the pharmacy with several mundane purchases--toothpaste and suntan lotion--Peter finds a brochure in his bag which discusses the problem of ___________________, which apparently is quite a prevalent condition among the French.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Peter learn about toads at a cafe? What does Peter think of this? Why might he feel this way?

2. Why might the Mayles have invited the Gregoires to see the dog?

3. How is the toad story explained? Is it as odd and sensational as Peter had hoped? Why or why not?

4. Describe the truffle business.

5. How do Mayle's feelings about fan mail change over time? Why?

6. What is Peter's opinion of picnics? Why?

7. What takes place prior to Boy and the Gregoires' dog breeding? Why does the breeding not go as planned?

8. What happens to Faustin? How does he feel about this?

9. How does the language barrier lead to humor in this chapter?

10. Describe the picnic area. How might this compare to Peter's experience in London?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Peter tells a tale of singing toads.

Part 1) Describe the story of the singing toads. Why does Peter include this story in this book? How does this story compare to others in the book? How does this story support the purpose of this book?

Part 2) What does this story reveal or reinforce about Peter? What does it also reveal or reinforce about Provencal culture? What other odd stories are told in this book? Are you able to relate to these stories? If so, how? If not, why not?

Part 3) What odd tales could you tell of your own life? How have these strange events affected you and your life?

Essay Topic 2

Mayle dislikes picnics.

Part 1) Why is this important to the story? Why does this fact not sway Mayle's wife when she plans a picnic? What does this reveal about her and her relationship with her husband?

Part 2) How is Peter's opinion regarding picnics changed? What other strong opinions does Peter have early on in the book that change over the course of his time in Provence? What leads to these changes? For the most part, are these good changes? Why or why not?

Part 3) How have your own opinions changed over time? What led to these changes? Do you believe your opinions will continue to change? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Peter's wife has an interest in dogs.

Part 1) How is this interest revealed? How does this interest affect and influence events in the story? What is the purpose of including these details? What do these details reveal about the author, his wife, and others in the story?

Part 2) In what is Peter interested? How do you know this? How do his interests compare to those of his wife? How do these interests affect his behavior throughout the book?

Part 3) What are your own interests? How do they compare to those of the Mayles? How can you use your own interests to relate to the interests of the Mayles and events in this book?

(see the answer keys)

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