View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. The houses in Argia are filled with what?

2. When a traveler arrives at Phyllis, what does he decide to do?

3. As he travels through Adelma, what does Polo wonder?

4. Khan wonders why Polo never speaks of:

5. The more Khan listens to Polo's stories, the less certain he is that he is sitting in the garden or:

Short Essay Questions

1. In what significant way is Argia different from all other cities Polo describes?

2. When people get lost in Eudoxia, what do they look at to find their bearings?

3. How does the perception of the city of Irene change depending on whether it's viewed by passersby or by inhabitants?

4. When Polo speaks of imperfections in the wood of Khan's chessboard, how does the emperor respond?

5. How do the cities described by Polo in Chapter 8 depict confusion?

6. Who lives in the underground city of Eusapia, and who has access to it?

7. Leonia, the city that reinvents itself daily, is in danger of what?

8. What does Polo say to Khan when the emperor points out that he never speaks of Venice?

9. Why is it that someone arriving at Thekla will see very little of the city?

10. When Polo suggests to Khan that the garden where they share stories may exist only in their minds and that, in reality, they may still be traveling, what does the emperor say?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which of the two characters, Khan or Polo, has a more realistic understanding of the state of the empire? Which would you say has a more hopeful view of the empire's future? Support your answers with examples from the story.

Essay Topic 2

Is it ever possible to tell whether Polo's stories have any truth to them or are completely made up? Why or why not? What examples or book passages support your conclusion?

Essay Topic 3

Part 1) What does Polo stand to gain by sharing stories about the empire's cities with Khan? What might he lose?

Part 2) How does Khan benefit from the information provided by Polo? Does it affect his ruling style in any way? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 815 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample