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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. Whom was Hulan allowed to marry?

2. Who is not at the jeep when Hulan and David arrive there?

3. Who disappears from the middle of the courtyard and remarried during the Revolution?

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

5. How does Ma react to news of Lily's death?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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. Who is Hulan required to visit in Chapter 2, and what does he tell her to do?

5. What unofficial position does Hulan have in China and why?

6. What does Michael say when Hulan interviews him?

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

8. What does Hulan find out when she interviews Catherine about Lily's death?

9. What was Hulan expected to do as her part of the bargain in question #3?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dragon Bones, like most novels in the detective genre, involves police officers and police work. Discuss the following:

1. What are the characteristics of an effective police officer?

2. What additional characteristics does a police detective need?

3. Base upon the criteria in #1, 2 above, discuss the following characters and analyze whether you think they are effective police officers and/or detectives: Hulan, David, Hom, Zai, and Su.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. Who is/are the protagonists of the story and why?

2. Who is/are the antagonists of the story and why?

3. Which 3 secondary characters have the greatest impact on the plot?

4. Are any of the characters dispensable and which ones? Why or why not?

5. Do you think this is a character-driven plot or an action-driven plot? Explain.

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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