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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. How many families live in the village where the Chairman makes an unscheduled stop in Chapter 20?

2. On what mountain is the villa where the Chairman and Mei stay in Chapter 22?

3. In Chapter 18, what does Mei find in her pants pocket when she gets dressed?

4. When Mei goes for a drive with Secretary Sun in Chapter 14, what is the name of the neighbor he points out?

5. How long after the Chairman takes to his bed does mail stop coming in Chapter 15?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the end of Chapter 23, how does Mei see a woman being treated?

2. What information does Mei find when she enters Madame's quarters in Chapter 16?

3. What is the first thing that Mei and the Chairman visit in Shoshan?

4. When Mei, Secretary Sun, and their driver are stopped by a student demonstration, what does Mei see?

5. What happens to Busy Shan?

6. With does Mei notice about the Chairman's boyhood home?

7. What grandiose plans does Mei have at the beginning of Chapter 21?

8. In Chapter 25, where does Mei remember where did the Chairman swam a decade ago?

9. What does Mei know and think happens to Busy Shan?

10. In Chapter 16, what does Mei overhear outside Madame's quarters?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Forbidden City, some characters are more thoroughly described than others. Who are some characters that are merely named in passing or have a minor role in the novel? What is the importance of these flat characters to the story line? In what way do these characters make the main characters more colorful or interesting? When there is conflict, what type of role do these flat characters play?

Essay Topic 2

A simile is a figure of speech that is used to make comparisons between things. How does the use of similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of similes help readers make the writing more interesting? What purpose do similes serve in Forbidden City?

Essay Topic 3

Genre is a means of classifying literature. What is the genre of the novel? Why is it not a history or a biography?

(see the answer keys)

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