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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where does the cashier invite the narrator to?
(a) The office.
(b) The garage.
(c) The coffee shop.
(d) The deli.

2. Once inside the office, what does the narrator ask the cashier?
(a) Where he lives.
(b) Who helps him escape from Sri Lanka.
(c) Why he leaves his wife behind.
(d) How long he's been in England.

3. After taking care of his car, what does the narrator do at the start of the story?
(a) Buys an ice cream cone.
(b) Assists another driver.
(c) Drops his wallet.
(d) Records data in a logbook.

4. What do Triton, Mr. Salgado, and others in the neighborhood hear coming from house number eight?
(a) Piercing screams.
(b) Loud music.
(c) Terrible howl.
(d) Beautiful singing.

5. As the narrator begins to speak about his former life in Sri Lanka, he talks about a ______.
(a) Glass-bottom boat.
(b) Flower-adorned shrine.
(c) Dome-shaped temple.
(d) Bay-fronted house.

6. The haberdasher who stops by Mr. Salgado's house on Thursdays is one of the what who stops by regularly?
(a) Beggars.
(b) Vendors.
(c) Researchers.
(d) Gardeners.

7. Who is Lucy-amma?
(a) The old cook-woman.
(b) The young girl next door.
(c) The neighborhood matchmaker.
(d) The local school teacher.

8. Although Mr. Salgado goes to the best schools in Colombo, he considers himself what?
(a) Not smart enough.
(b) Self-educated.
(c) A philosopher, not a scientist.
(d) Far more intelligent than his colleagues.

9. How old is Triton when he goes to work for Mr. Salgado?
(a) Seven.
(b) Twenty.
(c) Eleven.
(d) Sixteen.

10. In what language does the narrator try to speak to the cashier?
(a) Sinhala.
(b) Spanish.
(c) Swedish.
(d) Swahili.

11. Among the many new tasks Mr. Salgado gives Joseph in preparation for his absence due to a trip, the most significant is ___.
(a) Baking cookies.
(b) Taking inventories.
(c) Raking leaves.
(d) Digging an irrigation ditch.

12. Who stumbles towards the narrator and the cashier as the two are engrossed in conversation?
(a) Distraught child.
(b) Police officer.
(c) Drunk man.
(d) Mutual friend.

13. What color is the narrator's vehicle mentioned at the start of the story?
(a) Black.
(b) Green.
(c) Red.
(d) Cream.

14. One night, Triton dreams that there is a demon in the house, and in the morning he oversleeps. What does he tell Mr. Salgado that morning?
(a) The raging storm outside keeps Triton up all night.
(b) Someone tries to break in, but Triton chases him away.
(c) Triton fears the house may be haunted.
(d) Joseph steals Mr. Salgado's best wine the night before.

15. What is the cashier's immigration status?
(a) Naturalized citizen.
(b) Dual citizen.
(c) Illegal immigrant.
(d) Refugee.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Joseph leaves and Triton is left alone in the house, how does the boy feel?

2. When the narrator and cashier meet, what is happening in Sri Lanka?

3. In the story, who is Joseph?

4. Does the cashier understand the suggestions the narrator gives him in a Sri Lankan language?

5. When the narrator and the cashier strike up a conversation, what does the narrator want to know?

(see the answer keys)

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