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. How does Polo describe Moriana?

2. Clarice is known for its cycle of death and rebirth and:

3. What is at the center of Moriana?

4. Worried about his own empire, Khan begins to dream of cities that are:

5. Polo says that Clarice is:

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. 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?

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

5. As Khan visualizes the growth of his empire, what are some of the concerns he has?

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

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

8. What are the theories regarding why the inhabitants of Baucis live up in the clouds and rarely climb down to the ground?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Quite a few of Polo's descriptions reveal the condition of a city in its past, present, and future versions.

Part 1) How is the time line or chronology of a city illustrated by Polo's stories? Cite a few examples.

Part 2) What is the significance to Khan of showing him his cities through their chronology? What meaning or message is Polo trying to impart? What type of understanding does he hope the emperor will reach from this time line information?

Essay Topic 2

In many of Polo's stories, there is a strong relationship between the living and the dead.

Part 1) Give specific examples from the book of cities that exhibit some type of connection between those who are alive and those who have passed on.

Part 2) Why does Polo cover this theme? Why does he return to it again and again? What is he trying to establish, either for himself or for the emperor, regarding the interconnectedness of the living and the dead?

Essay Topic 3

Polo plays with the concept of light and dark. Some cities have beautiful sides along with darker sides. Give examples of these, describing in detail both sides. Are the sides real or imagined? How do they complete the whole? What do you suppose are Polo's reasons for sharing both sides to the emperor? Explain your answers.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,043 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample