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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does General Ma want Hong to do?

2. Why does Hong decide he can now leave his brother?

3. Who searches the passengers of the boat?

4. What does Chen tell Hong about the time of his captivity with the pirates?

5. Where is Meng Dafu?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the examination in Beijing going to be?

2. What does Hong decide to do after Chen takes a position and what does Sun Qi give Hong?

3. How is Hong going to get a message from Tang Wangai?

4. How far do the brothers take the Grand Canal, and what are they told at the end of it? What do they decide to do about the information?

5. What happens when Hong goes to deliver his letter from Ye Pan?

6. How does Hong find information about the locusts and his village?

7. What do the river pirates do when they board the boat?

8. How does Chen finally decide upon a position?

9. Where does Hong go when he escapes the pirates and who helps him?

10. What happens when Chen is invited out by three other scholars?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "The Examination" is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

This novel is more character driven rather than action driven, and obviously there are several characters who make the novel what it is. Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of Hong and Chen. Include their goals, sense of honor, abilities and social skills.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Chen and Shen Ding.

3. Thoroughly analyze the character of Lao Chen discussing both his strong and weak points and how both affect the outcome of the plot.

Essay Topic 3

Bosse has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think this book qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. Do you think the culture of that era is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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