Reading Quiz

Questions

1. Where's this story set?
2. What does the woman say the hills remind her of?
3. What are the man and woman discussing without discussing it directly?
4. What's the man's stance on this issue?
5. What can we glean about this couple's relationship?
6. When the woman wonders if the abortion will get their relationship back on track, what does the man say?
7. What is the man's attitude about marrying the woman?
8. Why does Jig agree to have the abortion?
9. What does the woman feel about the pregnancy?
10. What's this couple waiting for?
11. How do we find out that they're travelling?
12. When the man asks Jig at the end of the story if she feels better, what's her response?
13. What two drinks does the couple have?
14. If a white elephant is something that is impossible, expensive, or troublesome to keep around, what is the white elephant in this situation? Explain why.
15. Which train are they catching?

Answers

1. Spain
2. White elephants
3. The woman having an abortion
4. He wants her to have it, but only if she wants to.
5. They're going through a rough patch and may not make it through together.
6. The relationship's on track; he's just distracted because of this whole pregnancy thing.
7. He'll do it, but prefers she have the abortion.
8. Because she says she doesn't care about herself.
9. She feels that all's lost between them and things won't ever be good again.
10. They're waiting for their train...or a decision. We'll take that one too.
11. The bartender tells them the train is coming and the man takes their luggage out to the platform. Students may have also picked up on the fact that they're at a train stop, so maybe they figure out the couple is travelling from the get-go.
12. She denies having been upset.
13. Beers and Anise del Toro
14. We'll take either or both of these answers:The pregnancy: because the baby is unwanted and it will cost money and (possibly) some legal risk to have the abortion. Jig is a white elephant to the man because he doesn't want to be burdened with a wife and kid at this point in his life. He wants to be free of all this trouble.
15. The train from Barcelona to Madrid