1. How does Mr. Cummings influence Nabokov's scientific drawings of butterflies?
(a) He is Nabokov's butterfly instructor.
(b) He is Nabokov's science instructor.
(c) He is Nabokov's botanist.
(d) He is Nabokov's drawing instructor.

2. What is their mother's reaction when she sees that her children have opened the presents from their stockings early and poorly rewrapped them?
(a) She laughs at their attempt at deception.
(b) She scolds them for trying to deceive her.
(c) She spots their deception and bursts into tears.
(d) She pretends to not see their poor rewrapping.

3. What is memorable about this first memory?
(a) He wonders where his parents are.
(b) He understands that he is a separate being from his father and mother.
(c) He realizes he has the ability to control his own body.
(d) He understands that everyone must eat.

4. To whom does Nabokov feel the strongest bond of kinship?
(a) His mother's paternal grandfather, Nikolay Illarionovich Kozlov.
(b) His father's maternal grandfather, Nikolay Illarionovich Kozlov.
(c) His mother's maternal grandfather, Nikolay Illarionovich Kozlov.
(d) His father's paternal grandfather, Nikolay Illarionovich Kozlov.

5. With what is the aristocratic Nabokov house stocked?
(a) German beer.
(b) Russian antiques.
(c) French literature.
(d) English and French amenities.

Short Answer Questions

1. It is unusual for aristocrats in Russian to be hanged, and as a child, what does Nabokov call the trail through the woods on the estate where a previous owner had been hanged?

2. What does Nabokov learn to read and write before Russian or French?

3. What is seen as a dreaded event?

4. What mystifies the two boys about Mademoiselle?

5. After his retirement, from what does Dimitri Nabokov begin to suffer?

(see the answer key)

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