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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. Shen Fu says that he defines frugality as knowing when to save _______________, according to his writings.

2. What should a person use to strengthen a plant when the stem begins to fall over, according to Shen Fu's instructions?

3. The Chinese believed their leaders should be _____________ first and bureaucrats second, according to the Introduction.

4. What was the giant that Shen Fu saw when he was concentrating all of his attention on two insects battling in the grass?

5. What does Yun leave for Shen Fu up until the day of their wedding day, something that gets her mocked by others?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What does Shen Fu tells his parents about Yun when they meet as cousins when he is thirteen-years-old?

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

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

6. What is the therapy that Shen Fu receives for his most unfortunate injury, according to the book?

7. Why does the teacher send Shen Fu home in order to write his compositions for school, according to the book?

8. What it the task which Wan Tsai-chang completed, which makes him the only person that Shen Fu knows to have done such a thing?

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

10. Why are Shen Fu's failings described as falling into the category of provision for his family?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While this is a section about the simplest of pleasures, Shen Fu uses a lot of descriptions in order to be clear about what his pleasures are.

Part 1: Why do you think Shen Fu felt the need to be so technical in the way that he writes?

Part 2: Do you think the pleasures of Shen Fu are simple since they are so difficult to describe and to understand?

Part 3: How do you think a simple pleasure should be described? Can you describe one of your own?

Essay Topic 2

Shen Fu's best friend dies when they are very young, and Shen Fu always misses him as a result.

Part 1: Do you think it's harder to lose a friend when you are older or younger?

Part 2: How do you think you will feel if you lose a friend today versus when you are older?

Part 3: Why do you think Shen Fu is still so attached to his friend, even though he died many years before?

Essay Topic 3

Shen Fu considers himself to be a lucky person since he has been able to travel to far off places during his life.

Part 1: Why do you think it's important for a person to travel away from home?

Part 2: Do you like to travel to new places? What has been your favorite experience?

Part 3: How do you think a person changes when they are able to experience new things in their life?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 780 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample