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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What "fancy-style" item does Ivanovich buy for his trip (3)?
(a) A pair of hiking boots.
(b) A flannel shirt.
(c) A walking stick.
(d) An enormous backpack.

2. What is the "unusual expression" of the lake's water (14)?
(a) A cloud reflected in its center.
(b) Ripples that seem to follow Ivanovich along the shore.
(c) Waves moving away from the shore instead of towards it.
(d) An oddly red color.

3. When the narrator says that the road "undulated," what is being said of this road (12)?
(a) It gently rises and falls.
(b) It curves sharply.
(c) It varies in width.
(d) It abruptly ends.

4. What is unusual about the four people who work together?
(a) Two have the same last name and two have the same first name.
(b) All of them quit their jobs right before this trip.
(c) They work for the same employer but have never met until this trip.
(d) The men are married to the two women's sisters.

5. What is the job of the older man who talks to Ivanovich about Russia?
(a) Accountant.
(b) Post-office clerk.
(c) Paper manufacturer.
(d) Produce distributor.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is depicted "in a low-cut gown" on page 4?

2. What does Ivanovich think "must be oriented toward something or someone" (4)?

3. Which character is said to have "lustreless eyes and a vague velvety vileness" (6)?

4. What technique is used in the phrase "toward a train lurking behind other trains"?

5. What does the narrator remember about the time of year in which the story takes place?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Ivanovich do as soon as he sits down in the train on the first morning of the trip, and what is the group's reaction?

2. What happens at dinnertime on the first day of the trip?

3. How does Ivanovich end up losing the game that they play on the train, and what happens as a consequence?

4. What does Ivanovich do at each of the train stations on the first day of the trip, and what does this show about his character?

5. Who is Schramm and what function does he serve on the trip?

6. What kinds of things does Ivanovich feel passion for, and what kinds of things does he dislike?

7. Describe the game that the passengers come up with to play on the train.

8. On the second day of the tour, what is Ivanovich doing from early morning until early evening?

9. With whom does Ivanovich spend the first night, and how does this person keep Ivanovich awake?

10. What is frustrating for Ivanovich about the beauty in the landscapes he sees from the train?

(see the answer keys)

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