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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 spring, they will come out to mate. They will be trapped where?

2. Peter receives the ______________ birthday card in his life.

3. Peter's friend, Frank, calls him from London. He seems worried and on edge. Why?

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 arriving home, why does Benson ask Mayle to contact his brother?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Peter's friend, Frank, worried and on edge? Should he feel this way?

2. How does Peter end up in the small town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape? How might Peter feel about this trip?

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

4. Why might Peter's wife still plan a picnic, although he does not like them?

5. How does Peter get involved in this world of truffles?

6. How does Peter feel about his toad findings? Why does he feel this way?

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

8. How does Mayle's wife first come across Boy? How does this first encounter lead her to act? How do you feel about her behavior?

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

10. Why does Mayle's wife bring the dog home? Should she have done this? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

A large focus is put on truffles.

Part 1) What are truffles? What does the author have to say about truffles? Why are truffles important to the author and this story?

Part 2) What is learned about French culture, as well as other European cultures, from the truffle stories in this book?

Part 3) How can you relate to these truffle stories? How do these make sense in your own life? To what can these be compare in the U.S.?

Essay Topic 3

Peter makes observations about summers in Luberon.

Part 1) Describe Peter's observations. How does he share these observations with the reader? How does this style of writing compare to the rest of the book? What are your thoughts on the way Peter presents this information?

Part 2) Why are the summers in Luberon important to the author? How are the summers compared to other seasons? How are the details of these summers tied to Provencal and French culture?

Part 3) What are summers like in your own community? How do they compare to summers in Luberon? What are the reasons for these similarities and differences? Would you prefer to be in Luberon or your own community for the summer? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,308 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample