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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. In “Checkpoints” where do the soldiers set up hearing testing sites?

2. In “The Townspeople Circle the Boy’s Body,” what is happening to the puppet lying near Petya?

3. In “Of Weddings before the War,” what does the speaker NOT mention?

4. What do Sonya and Alfonso teach others in Central Square?

5. Alfonso says that who have something to tell that not even they can hear?

Short Essay Questions

1. In “4 a.m. Bombardment,” as the morning begins and the town comes to life what are the soldiers doing? What is Alfonso doing?

2. What does Alfonso say about his and his wife’s bathing ritual?

3. In “A Dog Sniffs,” what happens to Sonya?

4. In “The Townspeople Circle the Boy’s Body,” what do the townspeople do to protect Petya’s body?

5. In “The Map of Bones and Open Valves,” what do Sonya and Alfonso sneak through the city doing? How do they feel about this?

6. What does “Gunshot” say about the country of the characters in this story?

7. In "Dramatis Personae," the speaker describes the characters that will be found in the poem. Who are two of the characters, and how are they described?

8. In “Lullaby,” what does Alfonso say will protect his daughter?

9. What is the topic of both “Of Weddings before the War” and “Still Newlyweds”?

10. What takes place in “Soldiers Aim at Us?”

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Sonya's last word is, "Ready!" What does this and her previous actions, as well as silence, reveal about her? How is she both a heroine and a martyr? How do her actions compare to those of many of her fellow townspeople? Are most people likely to be like Sonya? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Kaminsky mentions the blue canary in "4 a.m. Bombardment." Blue Canary is a term used to describe first responders to a scene. They often do not have respirators or fire protection gear. They are much like the canaries once sent into coal mines to make sure they were safe and had adequate oxygen. Applying this understanding to Kaminsky's poem, what might he be saying about the blue canary? What is the blue canary doing? What is the relationship of the blue canary to others?

Essay Topic 3

Alfonso says he wife was a door-slammer and he a fool. What does he mean by this? Would you agree that he is foolish? Why or why not?

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