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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. For what does Peter pray?

2. The people of Provence are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Pavarotti, who is scheduled to perform at the open air _________________.

3. Who is drawn to these dry areas?

4. After sunset, the awards are presented to the winning dogs. What takes place the rest of the night?

5. What does Massot want to rent?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Massot do regarding the hunt for gold? Why does he do this?

2. Why is Mayle in Avignon? Why is this important enough to include in the book?

3. How is the real estate market affected in Luberon? How is this both good and bad?

4. What does Mayle learn from a woman during the concert? Do you believe her? Why or why not?

5. What is the epitome of the Luberon? How is this being destroyed by the increase in visitors and new residents?

6. How does the drought and fire risk affect Mayle? How does this chapter end? Why does it end this way?

7. How is Mrs. Mayle's weakness for dogs taken advantage of here? How does the author seem to feel about her weakness? How do you know this?

8. What is Mayle's fear regarding Massot? Is this a rational fear? Why or why not?

9. What is one of the possible consequences of drought in the region? How does this lead to more problems?

10. How does the author describe Place Pie? What does this reinforce about him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Mayle discusses the life of a writer.

Part 1) What is Mayle's description of a writer? Why does he give this description? Is this description surprising to you? Why or why not? What does this description reveal about Mayle?

Part 2) How is the life of a writer important to this story? What does this story reveal about the life of a writer? Based on this book, what do you think about the life of a writer?

Part 3) How does the life of a writer compare to the lives of those in other careers? In what career would you like to be? Why? How does working in this career field compare to working in the field of writing?

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

Provence suffers from a terrible drought.

Part 1) Describe this drought. How is the region affected by this drought? How is this drought tied to other stories within this book?

Part 2) In what other ways is Provence connected with nature? How important is nature, the environment, and weather to life in Provence? Explain.

Part 3) How does this drought affect the Mayles? How else is nature an important part of the Mayle's lives, now that they live in Provence? Is nature, the environment, and weather significantly important in your own life? If so, how and why? If not, why not?

(see the answer keys)

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