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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 can one make if the pile up some dirt, then place stones on it and plants flowers and grass here and there?

2. Shen Fu and Yun worship the Old Man of the _________ as to ensure that they will be able to be together in their next life.

3. Shen Fu says there should not be more than ___________ vases arranged on a table, according to his detailed writing.

4. When trees and flowers are planted for the first time, it doesn't matter if they are planted ______________.

5. Shen Fu decided to restore a peasant girl to her family when a man of influence wants to make her a _________.

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the gift from a friend that Shen Fu receives when he is younger, which causes him to go into a lot of detail?

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

4. Why does the book become a national favorite for those who read it as the times of the day in China were much different?

5. What does Shen Fu's education prepare him to be, which is a disappointment to his family as the reader learns in the story?

6. What does Yun do when she is separated from Shen Fu while he is off training in order to be a government official?

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

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

9. 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?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Shen Fu holds close his memories of childhood as he tries to describe the simplest pleasures in his life as he grows up.

Part 1: Why do you think childhood memories are so important to Shen Fu in the telling of his story?

Part 2: Do you think it's important to look back at the past when you are living in the present day?

Part 3: How do you think focusing on one's past might be detrimental to one's present and to one's future?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Shen Fu believes his wife feels everything so intensely in her life, which is what causes her to have a bleeding disorder.

Part 1: Why do you think that Shen Fu is so concerned about his wife?

Part 2: How do you think Shen Fu should help his wife with her condition?

Part 3: Do you think that a physical disorder can be caused by mental despair?

(see the answer keys)

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