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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 Tree-ear decide to do?

2. Why was firing a piece of pottery so difficult?

3. What happens to the object that Tree-ear is holding?

4. What did Crane-man tell Tree-ear about the boy informing Min of Kang's work?

5. What changed with Min about working on the potter's wheel?

Short Essay Questions

1. What will Tree-ear and Crane-man have to do for the winter?

2. What work of Min's does Tree-ear see the first time he goes to Min's house?

3. What is the third job to which Tree-ear is assigned and how does he do it?

4. What kind of work is cutting clay and what does Tree-ear remember while he is cutting?

5. How does Tree-ear finally find out what Kang is doing?

6. What was Tree-ear doing when he saw a rice container had a leak?

7. What does Tree-ear try to find out and how does his quest end?

8. What does Tree-ear do the day before the big event and what does Min order him to do?

9. What exciting news reaches the village in Chapter 6?

10. What does Tree-ear do for the next eight days for Min?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Tree-ear volunteers to take Min's pottery to Songdo for the emissary to see. It is a long and possibly dangerous journey.

1. Do you think children the same age as Tree-ear in the present day could have made the journey he did? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Explain how the journey and the events on the journey demonstrates Tree-ear's determination and courage. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Do you think it was irresponsible of Min and Crane-man to send a young boy Tree-ear's age on such a journey? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Crane-man and Tree-ear are very poor and homeless.

1. Crane-man is reluctant to take help from Min's wife even though he's hungry. Discuss what might be meant by the cliche "false pride" in this situation.

2. Discuss whether you think every human being has the right to food, clothing and shelter whether they can pay for those or not. Include examples from A Single Shard and your own life to support your discussion.

3. Discuss what you think would happen to Crane-man and Tree-ear if they lived in the United States in the present day. Include in your discussion how you think their problems could be solved.

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book has 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 A Single Shard is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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