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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 landmark is Christopher looking for?

2. Who does Yellow Snake turn out to be?

3. What does Uncle Philip say happened to Christopher's father?

4. Who turns out to be the senior intelligence man?

5. Who finally agrees to escort Christopher?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Uncle Philip offer Christopher at the end of their meeting?

2. Describe the Inn of Morning Happiness.

3. What vital clue does Kung reveal to Christopher?

4. How does Christopher spend his afternoon before meeting up with Sarah and Sir Cecil at the Lucky Chance Club?

5. How is Christopher treated at the police station?

6. Describe Christopher's reunion with his mother.

7. What does Christopher learn about Inspector Kung from Morgan?

8. Describe Christopher's encounter with Sarah and Sir Cecil at the Lucky Chance Club.

9. What happens at the consulate when Christopher asks to meet with Mr. MacDonald?

10. At Christopher's welcome party, what is the crowd's response to the explosion heard outside?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role does the opium trade play in the novel? How does it create conflict? How does it develop characters? How does it drive the story?

Essay Topic 2

The motif of the outsider is featured in WHEN WE WERE ORPHANS. Choose three scenes from the novel where Ishiguro uses this motif to advance the plot and develop characters. How is this done?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the development of Christopher Banks. What is the reader led to believe about him at first? What things does Christopher say that encourage the reader to look at him differently? Is he a reliable narrator? How much more does the reader know about Christopher at the end of the novel?

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