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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. Esmeralda is known as the city of what?

2. If a traveler to Thekla asks why the construction is never done, what answer will he hear?

3. In Chapter 8, Khan is on the verge of:

4. In Eusapia, what is there really is no way of knowing anymore?

5. Polo tells Khan that it is possible the whole world is covered with what?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Polo use the game of chess to help Khan better understand the cities of his empire?

2. When Polo sees familiar faces in the city of Adelma, what does he start to wonder?

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

4. Describe the significance of the strings in the city of Ersilia.

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

6. Describe Esmeralda, the city of water.

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

8. In Chapter 5, how does Polo illustrate to Khan the connections that hold cities together?

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

10. It's not always clear in the story if Khan is speaking to Polo or merely imagining a conversation, such as when he supposedly confronts Polo regarding Venice. Whether the conversation happened or was imagined, what does Khan accuse Polo of regarding Venice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Khan alternates between being pessimistic and being optimistic about his empire.

1) What concerns and hopes does Khan have about his empire? Cite specific examples.

2) How do Polo's stories fuel or soothe the emperor's worries and ambitions?

3) Seeing Khan at odds with himself, how does Polo use this opportunity to expand the emperor's understanding of the cities within his empire?

Essay Topic 2

The two main characters question reality to the point where they are not sure if they are presently traveling and only dreaming of being in Khan's garden, or presently relaxing in the garden while dreaming of their travels. Which do you think is the case? Why? Support your conclusion with evidence from the book.

Essay Topic 3

A common thread through Polo's tales of Khan's cities is "dreams and imagination." His stories are not only informative, but also extremely entertaining for the emperor thanks to the element of fantasy Polo employs.

1) Using specific examples from the book, explain how Marco Polo carries the theme of "dreams and imagination" in his stories.

2) How does this theme grab and hook Khan into Polo's tales?

(see the answer keys)

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