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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does the hospital look like where Arn arrives when he gets off the bus?
(a) It is a mud hut with a thatched roof.
(b) It is a big stucco building with lots of windows.
(c) It is a brick building that looks like a prison.
(d) It is a tent with open sides.

2. The author uses the occasion of Arn's transition into the role of soldier to refer back to events at the start of the novel. What are those events and what triggers them in Arn's thoughts?
(a) He straps a gun and ammunition to his chest and it reminds him of playing soldiers with his little brother Munny, just as they did after the movie so long ago.
(b) He feels a sense of power from being armed and likens it to the feeling he used to get from earning his own money and having the power to buy things other kids couldn't.
(c) He looks up into the sky and hears the rat-a-tat-tat of artillery, which makes him think of the sound his cheap vendor bell used to make as he sold from his cart.
(d) He remembers a prayer and recites it out loud, causing him to think about the monk teacher whom he used to bribe so he could skip school to sell his wares.

3. When Arn asks a nurse what month and year it is, she replies that it's March 1979. He then figures out he has been away from home for how long in total?
(a) Three years.
(b) Seven years.
(c) Five years.
(d) Four years.

4. What happens the first time Arn shoots his gun?
(a) He accidentally shoots Kha, but it is only a superficial wound.
(b) He is knocked off his feet by the force of the shot.
(c) He shoots a Vietnamese soldier hiding among the trees.
(d) He has a violent flashback of the boy in his village being hit with the butt of a rifle and killed.

5. One time when Sombo's group passes another platoon in the woods, he recognizes that platoon's rice girl. Who is it?
(a) His older sister Jorami.
(b) His older sister Maly.
(c) His older sister Chantou.
(d) His little sister Sophea.

6. Just before the radio's batteries die, what do they hear the voice of Angka saying in the news report?
(a) That children are no longer allowed to act as soldiers for the cause.
(b) That victory is near and that the Cambodian army will soon conquer Vietnam.
(c) That all Khmer Rouge soldiers are ordered to flee to Thailand if they can.
(d) That Vietnamese soldiers are no longer to be shot at since they have joined forces with the Khmer Rouge.

7. When Sombo takes Arn away from the group, his parting from Kha and Siv is especially hard. What about the separation makes it particularly tough for Arn?
(a) He has grown over time to hate Sombo, so Kha and Siv are the only friends he has left.
(b) Sombo takes him away without warning, so he does not get to say goodbye to Kha and Siv, who are now like brothers to him.
(c) He has planned to learn how to play the xylophone from Kha and how to play soccer from Siv, but now it's too late.
(d) He has planned to give Kha and Siv his only blanket, but Sombo takes him away before he can do so.

8. The second time Arn joins the volleyball game, he plays skillfully and everyone claps. Why does he do so well at the game this time around?
(a) Because he has asked Sojeat and Ravi ahead of time to set up some good plays for him to build from.
(b) Because he has been practicing all day every day and has even been sneaking out at night to practice.
(c) Because he has conditioned himself to control his fear of flying objects.
(d) Because he has replaced the regular volleyball with a rubber ball that is easier to maneuver.

9. What two factions are represented by the radio stations they listen to on Sombo's radio?
(a) The Voice of Thailand and the Khmer Rouge.
(b) Vietnam and Cambodia.
(c) The Voice of America and Bangkok.
(d) Angka and the Voice of America.

10. What instructions does Arn's sister give him when he is able to sneak out to see her in the night?
(a) She tells him to run away and to meet her at the mountain camp where two of their other sisters are living.
(b) She tells him not to be too brave and to hide from the bullets so she can see him again.
(c) She tells him to listen to Sombo and to practice the art of war continually so that he may stay alive.
(d) She tells him to ask Sombo if she can join their group as their new rice girl.

11. When his sister kisses Arn's ear, what is NOT something he says the sensation feels like?
(a) Rustling leaves.
(b) Heaven.
(c) Angels.
(d) Butterfly wings.

12. Sombo brings his new group to join with another camp composed mainly of true Khmer Rouge kids, not soldiers like Arn who have been held captive and then forced into battle by the Khmer Rouge. What is the main child leader's name within this other group?
(a) Phat.
(b) Munny.
(c) Phon.
(d) Sig.

13. Thinking he hears gunfire one night at the hospital, Arn awakes with a start and reaches for his gun. What is actually making the sound that he mistakes for gunfire?
(a) Kids whispering across the room.
(b) Rain on the roof.
(c) Chickens in the yard.
(d) Starlings in the tree.

14. When Missus Gotobed warns the children that the refugee camp on the other side of the fence is dangerous, why does Arn still walk back and forth along the fence one day?
(a) He wants to see if he can spot any Khmer Rouge soldiers that he can plot to kill later.
(b) He wants to look for any family or friends.
(c) He has heard that Sombo is in this refugee camp.
(d) He wants to appear brave in the eyes of the other kids,

15. What event causes Arn to question whether Sombo is still his friend or not?
(a) Arn overhears Sombo telling another soldier how annoying he finds Arn's behavior.
(b) Sombo swears at him and spits on the ground when Sombo asks to go wherever Sombo is being taken by the high-ranking soldier.
(c) Sombo refuses to share his extra rice with Arn.
(d) Arn sees Sombo strike Siv in the face for being clumsy.

Short Answer Questions

1. What simile does Arn use to describe his sister's appearance when he sees her?

2. Who tells Arn that Sombo is only being mean in order to protect Arn from harm?

3. What is the news being reported on the radio when Sombo quickly turns it off to prevent Arn from hearing?

4. What does Arn do when the pretty woman with the long braid begs Arn to shoot her?

5. What happens to cause Arn to say that now "even the earth is our enemy" (126)?

(see the answer keys)

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