The Cellist of Sarajevo

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. What is the purpose of the cellist’s flashback at the beginning of the novel?

A) It serves to describe the dire circumstances in Sarajevo.

B) It represents the effect war has on civilians.

C) It describes the cellist’s motivation for his music.

D) It explains the cellist’s rage at losing the Opera Hall.

2. How does the cellist attempt to cope with the violence in Sarajevo?

A) He blocks the memories from his mind.

B) He tries to remember better times.

C) He creates better memories.

D) He makes himself busy.

3. What best summarizes how the destruction of the Opera Hall felt to the cellist?

A) The depravity of enemy forces saddens him.

B) He feels as though there is no longer any hope.

C) He realizes he cannot pick up the pieces of his life, like the Opera Hall.

D) He feels as though when it was destroyed, he was destroyed.

4. What does Albinoni’s Adagio represent in the novel?

A) Rebuilding comes at a cost.

B) Inspiration is what you make of it.

C) Beauty can come from destruction.

D) Opportunity is everywhere.

5. What is Dragan’s coping mechanism in the novel?

A) Avoidance

B) Attack

C) Fear

D) Work

6. From the novel, what can the reader infer Arrow is motivated by?

A) Anger

B) Friendship

C) Survival

D) Honor

7.