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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 was the handsome, blue-eyed man doing in Olga's barrack?

2. Why did Olga renounce her privilege to write postcards to loved ones outside of the camp?

3. What response did the old inmate give Olga when she asked about the red brick building with the chimney?

4. Why did Olga get in the line to have her hair shaved?

5. What "rumor" did the woman in Olga's barrack share with Dr. Klein?

Short Essay Questions

1. What details about their arrival offered the passengers hope that their conditions would be better at the camp?

2. How were the people on the train cars affected by the trip and the inhumane conditions?

3. Describe the conditions of the work in the infirmary.

4. At what point did the deportees realize the true horror of their situation?

5. What did the barrack chief, Irka, explain after Olga suggested that she had hope for survival?

6. What were the conditions like in Olga's barracks?

7. How did Dr. and Mrs. Lengyel respond to the stories they heard about the cruelty of the Germans and their treatment of prisoners?

8. Why did Olga relate the sensation of thirst to her memories of the concentration camp?

9. What dilemma did Olga face whenever her companions argued about the existence of the crematories?

10. Why did the Germans allow the prisoners to write postcards to their loved ones outside of the camps?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author describes the cultural makeup of the concentration camp as a "melting pot" of nationalities, languages, and social classes. How did the conditions of the camp make cultural and social distinctions irrelevant?

Essay Topic 2

How were religious leaders treated in the camp? How did the conditions of the camp affect their religious beliefs? How were other prisoners affected by the examples of these religious leaders?

Essay Topic 3

In spite of the horrible treatment that the prisoners received at the hands of the Nazis and the misdeeds toward one another, Olga describes some true kindnesses among the prisoners. Describe the kind acts that she experienced and observed, and analyze the value of these acts for those involved.

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