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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. What is the current name of Ceylon?

2. What Joyce book did Theroux take on the train in Chapter 12?

3. What were the American travelers discussing on the train in Chapter 8?

4. What happened with the Orient Express when it went through the Alpine tunnel in Chapter 2?

5. Why was Theroux unable to get food at Meshed in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What was Molesworth's attitude toward tourism?

3. Why was Mr. Radia, with whom Theroux spoke in Chapter 10, so cynical about the English?

4. What were Theroux's impressions of the Pakistani city of Peshawar?

5. What is the primary lesson about India's future that Theroux took from his nighttime wanderings around Bombay?

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. How had Afghanistan changed since the military coup of 1973?

9. Why did Theroux find it insane that people were attending an American literature conference in Ceylon?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Describe how Theroux felt when arriving home after four months of travel. What did he mean by "being flayed" by the lengthy trip? Do you think it is possible to become sick and tired of an activity you usually treasure? Do you think someone can regain that love by avoiding the activity for awhile or are some desires simply ingrained in people (and will Theroux be struck by wanderlust yet again)?

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?

(see the answer keys)

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