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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the one thing the passengers have in common once the ship sets sail?
(a) Seasickness.
(b) Wealth.
(c) Poverty.
(d) Fame.

2. Twain says the color the gondolas are painted the color of ___________.
(a) Royalty.
(b) Lust.
(c) Romance.
(d) Mourning.

3. The excursionists are burned out on travel by the time they reach which Italian city?
(a) Venice.
(b) Milan.
(c) Rome.
(d) Florence.

4. What about the French can Twain not tolerate?
(a) Their rudeness.
(b) Their broken English.
(c) Their insistence on quick meals.
(d) Their lack of hygiene.

5. How does Twain describe the streets of Genoa?
(a) Like pig sties.
(b) Like caves.
(c) Dirty and disgusting.
(d) Wide and open.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why is the gondola ride a letdown?

2. Whose final resting place is highlighted in Chapter 15?

3. What does Twain see that fills him with lust?

4. Why does Twain say that the Moors are afraid of a certain country?

5. What does the ship offer for entertainment?

Short Essay Questions

1. We are introduced to a character called the Oracle. How did he earn this moniker? How do Twain and his shipmates feel about this man?

2. Compare/contrast American and European work ethics, as described by Twain in Chapter 19.

3. Twain has a moment of questioned faith in Chapter 6. What inspires this questioning? Is he questioning his faith or the object? Why does he question at all?

4. The romantic story of Heloise and Abelard is given a large section in Chapter 15. The entire chapter is nearly taken up by the story, despite the focus given to a cemetery. Why do you think Twain chose to include this story?

5. Describe Twain's experience at Bois de Boulogne. Compare/contrast this experience with Twain's overall experience in France.

6. Twain accompanies his group to the Coliseum. As he watches them scrabble for pieces of the huge building, he finds a playbill where a woman invites a man on a secret date. Why is this piece of trash more interesting to Twain than the souvenirs his friends seek?

7. Twain and his friends finally reach France. However, their first stop, Marseille, is fraught with problems. What are some of these problems? Do you think that some or all of these problems could have been avoided? Why or why not?

8. Twain feels intellectually and culturally insecure in Venice. Describe why a tour guide furthers these insecurities.

9. Twain is a bit contradictory in his opinions of the French. Outline Twain's opinions and theorize why he might feel that way.

10. Twain's first exposure to another people is when he lands in the Azores Islands. He listens to the people speaking Portuguese and scoffs at the many beggars. What is his first impression of the people of the Azores, and why do you think he feels the way he does about them?

(see the answer keys)

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