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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. Where did the Parsis place their dead?

2. Where did many of the dentists in Simla come from?

3. What was the name of Gandhi's birthplace, visited by Theroux in Chapter 10?

4. What animals did Theroux encounter near the Galta gorge temple?

5. What book was Theroux reading at the beginning of Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Theroux think the Orient Express was used as the setting for many stories of criminal intrigues?

2. Describe the Tamils as encountered by Theroux in Chapter 12.

3. Why were the Ceylonese showing so much devotion to St. Jude?

4. Describe the Afghan prison conditions mentioned by Mr. Haq in Chapter 6.

5. Describe Mr. Gopal, the embassy liaison man showing the tourist sites to Theroux in Chapter 11.

6. How did Theroux describe the Australians he encountered on the trains?

7. Why was the destruction of the coral reefs a perfect example of the improvidence of the Ceylonese?

8. In Theroux's view, how did the strictures of Islam affect Pakistani men?

9. What were Theroux's impressions of the alleged tombs of Cain and Abel?

10. What was Molesworth's attitude toward tourism?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Japan, Theroux found the Japanese had some robotic qualities (automatically waiting in lines everywhere, doing group calisthenics at the office, etc.). Did that seem like a fair portrayal? What do you think caused the Japanese to behave in this manner? Do you think they had always been like that or had their history played a role in shaping their modern-day attitudes?

Essay Topic 2

In Vietnam, Theroux wrote that his impression of American involvement had been doomed because we had no intention of staying. Therefore, we never developed a vision of what kind of nation we would leave behind, and the Vietnamese emerged damaged and abandoned. Do you believe the U.S. could have achieved its objectives had we remained in the country for a longer period of time? What responsibility did Theroux suggest a nation had to stay and rebuild another nation after involving itself in a military mission?

Essay Topic 3

Theroux opened the book with a description of his childhood love of trains. What was it about trains, as opposed to other forms of transportation, that fascinated him so much? Why did he choose to travel by train through Asia? Would he have had the same rich experiences he had by train if he had instead flown from city to city in Asia? Would he have met the same people and had the same fascinating conversations?

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