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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 much time is Joan assigned to work in December?

2. What is one thing Mark brings over for him and Joan to eat?

3. What dish does Nanny especially make with Joan's mother for Joan?

4. What does Joan give to Mark that is significant in Part III?

5. Where does the new virus begin to emerge in Part III?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the hospital director worried about that he confides in Joan about?

2. What important piece of information does Joan not tell Mark about her recent personal past?

3. What is "chuang" supposed to feel like?

4. What television show does Joan start watching regularly that has been hugely popular?

5. What does Mark give Joan that she knows she will not really make use of?

6. Why does Tami initially come to America?

7. What does Madeline do when Joan tells her she is going on leave for six weeks?

8. What happens to Joan's relationship with Mark during her sabbatical?

9. Why does Mark give so many things to Joan?

10. What happens to Reese's desk in his absence from work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do Joan's and Fang's financial situations contrast with those of their own parents from their childhood years? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 2

Towards the end of the novel, how does Joan establish boundaries and have a relationship with her neighbor Mark on her own terms? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

How does Joan handle the event of her father's death, and why do some people around her - especially at work - think how she handles it is odd? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 532 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample