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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. What issue does Nick's mother, Eleanor, keep bringing up?

2. Why was it so important to Eddie Cheng that he was attending the World Economic Forum?

3. What do the gossip columns, secret photographers, and spying symbolize in the novel?

4. How does Su Yi tell Astrid her brother, Alexander (Ah Jit) die?

5. What do Su Yi and Astrid discuss in the hospital?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Nick Young ambivalent about returning to Singapore to see his grandmother, Su Yi?

2. What does Astrid find out when she visits Su Yi?

3. What happens when Nick arrives at Tyersall Park?

4. How is the Bible study group described in Part One, Chapter Two?

5. What kind of relationship does Victoria have with her brother, Philip?

6. Who is Lucia Shang? How does her character fit into the novel's plot?

7. When Su Yi appears in the dining room for breakfast, what does her attitude convey to her family?

8. What was the reason Nick was not allowed to see his grandmother?

9. What is the purpose of the three problems discussed in the Prologue?

10. How does Eddie treat his mother when she tries to contradict him about Su Yi's wishes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Vikram Ghale and Ah Ling intervene to foil Eddie's plot to isolate Su Yi from her grandchildren, Astrid and Nick. What motivates them to take action? What are the risks involved in their choices?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Rachel's relationship with her mother-in-law, Eleanor Young. How do the two characters interact during the story? How does Rachel react to her mother-in-law's interference in her life with Nick? What is the biggest source of conflict between the two women?

Essay Topic 3

When Nick finds his grandmother's diaries, he learns things about her past that were largely unknown to her family. What does Nick learn about her character? How does he react to what he learns? What effect do Su Yi's diaries have on Nick and his decisions concerning Tyersall Park?

(see the answer keys)

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