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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 does Joan think death can be handled?

2. Who is Joan's closest female colleague?

3. Where do Joan's parents live?

4. What is one classic book Mark gives Joan?

5. What does Mark like to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the first death Joan can remember witnessing and processing?

2. What did Joan once read that empathy involves?

3. How does Joan find out her mother is in Greenwich?

4. Why does Joan say she chose to work in intensive care?

5. What does Joan do when she is given her own office at the hospital?

6. What does Joan seem to think of Reese?

7. What gestures do Joan and her mother do before Joan leaves her father's funeral?

8. How does Joan's father die?

9. What does the Chinese phrase "to chat" - "liao tian" - literally mean (43)?

10. What is one reason Joan does not like to go to her brother's big parties?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When and how does Wang begin to reveal to the reader that Joan's feelings surrounding her father's death may be more than what they appear to be at first? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

What do you think Wang means to communicate to the reader about medicine and Reese's character through his interactions with Joan? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay describing how Wang uses tone and language to establish Joan's character throughout the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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