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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 does Sharpe notice as he leaves his sleeping quarters?

2. What does Sharpe give Teresa?

3. What does Sharpe think has to be done to the Fortress of Almeida?

4. Who is nearby?

5. What does Sharpe say he must do?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Teresa?

2. Describe what happens in the explosion attempt.

3. Describe the Lines of Torres Vedras.

4. Describe Almeida.

5. Describe the fight between Sharpe and El Catolico.

6. What happens before the telegraph can be sent?

7. Why will the Lines of Torres Vedras stop the French?

8. What is written about the historical Almeida?

9. Describe the scene between Cox and Sharpe about the gold and Sharpe's men.

10. How is Sharpe faring with the wound he receives?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In any book centered around the military, leadership of the troops is often crucial with the better leaders able to command the respect and loyalty of their men. The men's willingness to follow a particularly leader can have a decisive impact upon the success of a mission. Discuss the following:

1. Whose command style seems most effective? Analyze the elements of those effective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the good leaders. What makes an excellent leader/commander? Give examples.

2. Whose command style seems least effective? Analyze the elements of those ineffective leaders thoroughly and discuss the traits of the poor leaders. What makes a poor leader/commander? Give examples.

3. Is disobeying a poor leader ever justifiable? Explain using details from the text, other books you have read and your personal experience. In times of war, disobeying an order can be punishable by death. Is this harsh sentence justifiable for such an act? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 2

Many events that happen in Sharpe's gold are foreshadowed by previous events and/or signs. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "foreshadow."

2. Why would an author use foreshadowing? Do you think it adds or detracts from your experience as a reader? Explain.

3. Trace and analyze five instances of foreshadowing in Sharpe's Gold. Match up what is mentioned earlier and what it foreshadows. Did you guess that each instance of foreshadowing was a "heads up" of something to come? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the following:

1. Define irony in literary terms. Discuss the irony of the situation when Sharpe's men think he is torturing Teresa when he is involved with her romantically.

2. Define symbolism in literary terms. Discuss the use and meaning of five symbols you choose to analyze from Sharpe's Gold. What do they symbolize? Is the symbolism obvious? Effective? Does the symbolism contribute to the enjoyment of reading?

3. Discuss five literary devices that occur in Sharpe's Gold and how they are used. Are they effective? Do they add or detract from the reading of the book? Why or why not. Some possible techniques: Allusion, connotation, denouement, dialogue, flashback, figurative language, motif, metaphor, narrator, point of view, simile, mood, and puns.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,143 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample