City of Thieves

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

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following best describes Lev’s decision to remain in Leningrad?

A) He is confident in his capabilities.

B) He is motivated by duty.

C) He wants to join German forces.

D) He doesn’t make friends easily.

2. Why is Lev skeptical about his friendship with Koyla early in the novel?

A) Koyla is often reckless, and this gets Lev into trouble.

B) Koyla has misgivings about being part of the war effort.

C) Koyla acts as though he is superior.

D) Koyla wants to desert their mission early on.

3. Why do conflicts arise between Lev and Koyla?

A) They are on opposite sides of the war.

B) Lev is not interested in Koyla’s literary exploits.

C) They do not agree on essential beliefs.

D) They have contrasting personalities.

4. What best describes the troubling result of wartime violence in Leningrad?

A) People must defend their families.

B) Many of the buildings are torn apart.

C) There is a loss of humanity.

D) The colonel cannot find eggs for a wedding.

5. Which of the following is Kolya’s greatest weakness?

A) His fake bravery

B) His desertion

C) His bravado

D) His love of women

6. How does Lev experience character growth by the conclusion of the novel?

A) He learns to attract girls.

B) He becomes brave enough to face his foes.

C) He understands the value of friendship.

D) He develops confidence in his abilities.

7. What inferences can the reader draw about the soldiers’ actions from the novel?

A) Only the Germans were violent and unfeeling.

B) Both sides behaved violently in response to the war.

C) Most people were good and only a few were violent.

D) The Russians were cruel during World War II.

8. How does Kolya feel about his work, The Courtyard Hound?

A) He is insecure about it.

B) He brags that it is a great, undervalued work.

C) He is disappointed others don’t like it.

D) He thinks it should be included among the classics.

9. What ultimately bonds Lev and Kolya as friends?

A) Similar interests

B) Common beliefs

C) Acceptance of differences

D) Shared trauma

10. What is shocking about the colonel’s collection of food for his daughter’s wedding?

A) He has a lot of it for a war-torn area without food.

B) It is in stark contrast to the starving people in Leningrad.

C) Lev is unsure where he would have gotten so much food.

D) Lev suspects he must be working with the Germans.

11. What emotion does Lev often associate with Kolya?

A) Distrust

B) Dislike

C) Envy

D) Shame

12. Which of the following best explains why Vika is a unique character in the novel?

A) She sides with the Germans.

B) She is the NVKD’s best shot.

C) She wears overalls.

D) She defies stereotypes.

13. What can the reader infer happens to Vika after the novel’s conclusion?

A) She learns to cook.

B) She becomes Lev’s wife.

C) Her relationship with Lev ends.

D) She and Lev remain friends.

14. What provides Lev with the strength to overcome his fear of the German soldiers?

A) His newfound friendship with Kolya

B) The confidence he has developed

C) His fear of losing Vika

D) His desire to impress Vika

15. What is the significance of the colonel’s statement that keeping quiet is the secret to a long life?

A) It trains Lev to keep from speaking out.

B) It points to the colonel’s possible torture.

C) It prevents Lev from mentioning the food.

D) It later saves Lev’s life.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. This novel includes many vivid descriptions of food, and the plot revolves around a quest for a dozen eggs. How does food serve as a symbol in the story?

2. What did it take for Lev to act out of bravery rather than self-preservation?