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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. Where do the guests go after the meal and the speech at the Meredith Foundation dinner?

2. When does Christopher speak to Sarah at the Draycoats' wedding?

3. What does the health inspector from Morganbrook and Byatt urge Mrs. Banks to do?

4. At what age did Christopher and Akira begin playing on the mound in the garden?

5. What does Mrs. Banks tell Christopher to reassure him?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Uncle Philip?

2. What kinds of presents does Uncle Philip give Christopher when the boy comes to visit his office?

3. Describe the visit of the health inspector to Christopher's home in Shanghai.

4. How does Sarah Hemmings treat Christopher at the Mayfair flat?

5. What does Akira say when Christopher asks if his parents sometime stop talking to each other?

6. How does Christopher receive his magnifying glass?

7. What does Sarah tell Christopher about marriage?

8. How is Jennifer's nanny selected?

9. How does Miss Hemmings gain admittance to the Meredith Foundation dinner?

10. How is Christopher's relationship with Mei Li transformed by his mother's abduction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS is written in first person. Why is this the most effective choice for Ishiguro's purposes? Discuss the impact of first person on character and story development.

Essay Topic 2

What role does Christopher's relationship with Akira play in the story? How does it evolve? How does it shape the man Christopher becomes?

Essay Topic 3

Choose three examples of Christopher's perception of himself clashing with others' perception of him. What is the effect of this perception gap? Why do you think Ishiguro uses this device?

(see the answer keys)

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