1. In “The Kiss” Ryabovich is

  1. the general of the Russian army
  2. a soldier
  3. an officer in the army
  4. a civilian

2. Ryabovich is described as

  1. outgoing
  2. critical of others
  3. quiet and socially awkward
  4. highly respected

3. Which of the following words/phrases is used to describe Ryabovich physically?

a. “a stud-muffin”

b. “tall, dark and handsome”

c. “lynx-like”

d. “mysteriously sophisticated”

4. The woman who kisses Ryabovich is

  1. his mother
  2. a childhood friend of his
  3. his best friend’s wife
  4. not known by him

5. The kiss affects Ryabovich by

  1. changing his outlook on life
  2. making him very unhappy
  3. making him sad
  4. making him feel more alone

6. Which of the following best describes how Ryabovich perceives things after the kiss?

a. He is attentive to natural beauty and thinks about love.

b. He becomes more focused on his military career.

c. He thinks constantly about moving to Moscow.

d. He is not willing to date any other women.

7. Which of the following best describes how Ryabovich and Lieutenant Lobytko compare?

a. Their personalities are nearly identical.

b. Ryabovich is more outgoing than Lobytko is.

c. Ryabovich is a more successful leader.

d. Lobytko is much more outgoing than Ryabovich is.

8. After Ryabovich tells the other officers about the kiss, he is

  1. proud of the way he attracts women
  2. surprised by how quickly he can tell the entire story
  3. shocked by how the men laugh at him
  4. kicked by one of the men

9. Near the end of the story, when Ryabovich and his brigade return to the location of the beginning of the story, Ryabovich is hoping

a. that his girlfriend will accept his marriage proposal

b. that he will be promoted to general

c. that the man with the “queer-looking horse” will return

d. that he will have time to write love poems

10. At the end of the story, how do you expect that Ryabovich’s view on life will be different from how it was immediately after the kiss?

  1. he will not be deceived by a Romantic outlook
  2. that he will be more of a Realist
  3. he will consider himself ordinary
  4. all of the above

11. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true of the following passage from “The Kiss?

“Everything on the near side of the river was just as it had been in May: the path, the bushes, the willows overhanging the water . . . but there was no sound of the brave nightingale and no scent of poplar and young grass.”

a. It occurs early in the story.

b. It reflects Ryabovich’s emotions.

c. It conveys an enthusiastic perspective.

d. It is identical to an earlier passage.

12. How is “The Kiss” similar to both “Her First Ball” and “First Confession”?

a. The main character is not yet an adult.

b. Like Leila and Jackie, Ryabovich experiences something for the first time.

c. The ending is similarly upbeat and positive.

d. The character falls in love.

13. How is “The Kiss” different from both “Her First Ball” and “First Confession”?

a. It is a much shorter story.

b. It is told from a first-person point of view.

c. The main character is older and has a less optimistic experience.

d. It is a more optimistic story.