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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. Yun believes that having been to the festival, she has not lived a life in ____________, since she has seen such a beautiful pplace.

2. How many records seem to be missing from the manuscript which has been compiled about Shen Fu's life?

3. What was the skill of Lu Pan-fang, a man of many names within this particular section of the book?

4. How old does Shen Fu say that he is when he realizes he doesn't want anyone else but Shen Fu?

5. Who is Han-yuan sold to, which saddens Yun very much upon finding out this information from another?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are three things which Shen Fu gives instructions on when he is talking about plants and caring for plants?

2. What happened to destroy the work that Shen Fu and Yun did on their yard?

3. What else did Yun teach herself to do, according to the description from Shen Fu in the story?

4. Why does Shen Fu take up so much time talking about the arrangement of pots and cases? What is he trying to do for the plants?

5. Why was Shen Fu's favorite orchid destroyed, according to the story that Shen Fu is writing?

6. What is the interesting way that Shen Fu and Yun want to be reincarnated when they are born again in their next life?

7. What are the things that Shen Fu and Yun discuss when they do the Pavilion together?

8. What does Shen Fu think that people with modest homes should try to do with their homes and their arrangements?

9. What does Shen Fu imagine the bug is when he is observing it out in nature, according to the book?

10. What is the advice that Yun gives to Shen Fu about painting insects as a part of his artistic endeavors?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shen Fu seems to have a love affair with the plants he grows from seeds into full plants, loving them as much as a person.

Part 1: Why do you think Shen Fu connected so strongly to the growth of plants?

Part 2: What might be the metaphor for the way that Shen Fu loved and cared for his plants?

Part 3: Do you think that you could be someone who loved to take care of plants?

Essay Topic 2

In his gardens, Shen Fu would create the illusions of other landscapes, with the use of rocks and plants.

Part 1: What is the value of creating illusions in one's life?

Part 2: Do you think that Shen Fu might have been trying to tell others in the world something about himself through his gardens?

Part 3: How do you think you might respond if you were to see one of Shen Fu's gardens?

Essay Topic 3

As she is dying, Yun talks to her husband about how she asked for too much in her life and lived like a goddess when she was with him.

Part 1: Do you think it's possible to ask for too much from life?

Part 2: Why do you think Yun feels guilty, or so it seems, about the way her life has been so good to her?

Part 3: How do you think you would respond if someone spoke to you like this?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 777 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample