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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. To what does the conversation shift when Hulan indicates she is investigating a murder?

2. Who is Yu the Great?

3. How was Lily mutilated?

4. Where does David go while Hulan is interviewing the foreigners?

5. What does Hulan think she should support because of being educated in the United States?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is David, Hulan's husband, doing while she is at the square? What does he do when he sees her on television?

2. What does Michael say when Hulan interviews him?

3. What was Hulan given permission to do in her deal with high powered Chinese officials five years prior to the opening of the novel?

4. How does Hulan think Lily's death is related to Hulan?

5. What happens on the river in the prologue?

6. Who meets the couple at Bashan, and what does he tell them as he takes them to their lodgings?

7. What do David and Liu do after packing in Chapter 4?

8. What does Xiao Da say at the Society meeting and what happens to David and Hulan at the meeting? What does Hulan think is the reason she was sent to Site 518?

9. What does Hulan do after receiving her first assignment in Chapter 1?

10. What are David and Hulan told at their meeting with Zai?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 Dragon Bones is? Explain your response.

Essay Topic 2

Dragon Bones involves the act of murder. Discuss the following:

1. What is murder? Is the act of murder always clearly murder?

2. Is the murder of Lily or Brian justifiable? Use examples from Dragon Bones and your own life to support your answer.

3. Why do you think Hom was murdered? Use examples from Dragon Bones and your own life to support your answer.

4. Is murder ever justified? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Dragon Bones belongs to the historical novel genre. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "genre" and give several examples of three other genres in addition to the historical novel genre.

2. Discuss two reasons why it might be useful to label a text by genre and two reasons it might be disadvantageous to label a text by genre.

3. What do you think is the difference between a suspense novel and a historical novel mystery?

(see the answer keys)

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