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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. How many cubes of ice does Laleh take in her tea, by report?

2. The word “tokmeh” means which of the following, per the novel?

3. How long is Darius able to enjoy Stephen’s company most evenings, by report?

4. The word “desultorily” carries which of the following meanings?

5. The comment that “Alexander the Great was the Trent Bolger of Ancient Persia” (155) offers an example of which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what condition do the Bahramis and Kellners find Persepolis?

2. What is Surrender Cobra?

3. What reasons does Darius have to doubt Fariba’s pronouncement of his handsomeness as he rides from Tehran to Yazd with her?

4. How does Darius relate his mother’s early misunderstanding of taarof with his father’s parents?

5. What occasioned Stephen stopping the fire-jumping celebration, and what caused him to resume it?

6. What games are included in Darius’s “net sports” unit?

7. What reasons does Darius give for disliking Subway?

8. What is meant by the phrase “Soulless Minions of Orthodoxy,” and who are prominent early examples of the phrase?

9. Near the end of “Bette Davis Eyes,” what does Darius report wanting and failing to tell Ardeshir?

10. What does Darius notice when first reaching Ashkan’s store?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Darius notes not wanting Sohrab to see him suck on the tassels of his hoodie (236) or to see him take his depression medication (240), but he does seem to be okay with Sohrab seeing him undressed or seeing him cry. Why? What in the novel suggests that reason? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 2

As Darius prepares to leave Iran, he notes that he intends to call Fariba weekly but knows he will fail, noting that “Because each time I talked to her, I’d have to say good-bye.

“Now that we were part of each other’s lives—our real lives, not our photonic ones—I didn’t know if I could survive that” (299).

Given that, is Darius better off for having had the experience of meeting his Persian family? How does the novel support or deny the idea?

Essay Topic 3

Darius notes the following:

“No one had ever made people speak in English around me before.

“Not even Mom” (235).

What is the significance of Sohrab insisting on English with Darius? Why is it significant?

(see the answer keys)

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