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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. Who does the sergeant major find to be given a nickname due to his love of gambling?

2. What are the two high-ranking ministers shown at the beginning of Section 3 known as?

3. What religion are all mafia members associated with?

4. What does the old man believe a certain spy to be setting himself up against in Section 4?

5. Who do two high-ranking ministers discuss at the beginning of Section 3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the nature of the story the old man tells regarding a police officer at the beginning of Section 4?

2. What is the nature of the two men's conversation regarding communism at the beginning of Section 3?

3. How is the "Mother Church" first described in the book?

4. How do the passengers on the bus react after a man is shot at the beginning of the book?

5. Why does Little Priest feel guilty at the beginning of Section 5?

6. What is the nature of most of the bus passengers police track down regarding the shooting in Section 1?

7. What does an old man decide Marchica should do at the end of Section 4?

8. What is the nature of the information Little Priest gives to the captain in Section 2?

9. How do the employees of a sulphur mine react after not being paid for three months?

10. What is the nature of the anonymous letters the police receive in Section 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the important role religion played in the lives of the mafia members in the book. Why do you think the mafia chose to stress such importance on religion given their violent and unethical actions in every aspect of their lives?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the author's portrayal of the confession in the book. How does the author portray the level of desperation felt by police based on the way they obtain confessions from the mafia in the book?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the important role respect played in the mafia. How do members of the mafia gain respect from Sicilian citizens and other members? What role does respect appear to play in the mafia, namely in regards to the hierarchy of its members?

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This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample