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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 year does Massot feel would be the ideal year to sell his home?

2. What does Menicucci remind Peter to do?

3. What is the name of the bakery they visit in Cavaillon?

4. Where had Peter's friend rented a house?

5. Why can't the meter reader read the Mayles' meter?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Roger and what happens to him?

2. Describe the dinner the Mayles are invited to in November.

3. Describe the man Peter meets in the forest.

4. What frightened friends of the Mayles who were staying at a nearby hotel?

5. What English Christmas festivities did the Mayles miss?

6. In what year does Massot plan to sell his home and why?

7. Why were the Mayles uncomfortable at the party they were invited to in Gordes?

8. List the locals who come to the Mayles for Christmas tips and tell what they bring as gifts

9. What is the irony of Christmas Day to the Mayles?

10. At the suggestion of Bernard, the pool man, where do the Mayles go to eat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Different events happening at different times of the year in Provence are important to the book. For example there's the tourist season, the harvest season, the hunting season etc.

Choose one of the seasons mentioned above and write a detailed description of it in an essay How does learning about it help you understand Provence and its people better. How do they differ from you or from Americans in general? Why did you choose that topic to write about?

Essay Topic 2

Early in the book the Mayles experience the Mistral.

Part 1) What is the Mistral? Where does it come from? Why is it important in the book? It appears twice in the book. Write a short description of the two different appearances of the Mistral.

Part 2) What are some of the effects on people and animals attributed to the Mistral in the book? How is the Mayles' house affected by the Mistral?

Part 3) Monsieur Menicucci has a theory about why the last three winters in Provence have been colder because of a change in the Mistral. Explain his theory. Does it seem

plausible to you?

Essay Topic 3

There are many customs of kissing and body contact in Provence which differ greatly from the customs in America.

Part 1) Write a description of the different ways of kissing in France. How do they kiss in Paris? How do they kiss in Provence? Men kiss eachother. Does that repell you?

Part 2) Besides kissing there is other body contact in Provence. Describe it and its meaning?.

Part 3) Write a description of some of the different forms of body language the Provencals use. What are the different kinds of body language and what do they mean?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 839 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample