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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. Whose number is mistakenly placed in the ad asking for information about Li Chun?

2. What do the impasse beasts thrive upon?

3. Who was once in a relationship with the mayor of Yong'an?

4. What did Li Chun really do to the mayor's daughter?

5. What is the name of the sacrificial beast the narrator tries to help?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why can the sorrowful beasts never smile?

2. What kind of relationship does the narrator have with her professor?

3. In Part I, what does the narrator's professor tell her might have happened to the male sorrowful beast Cloud?

4. What do humans decide to do with the remainder of the sacrificial beasts in Part II?

5. What kind of relationship does the narrator have with Lucia?

6. How did being in close contact with a joyous beast seem to affect the mayor of Yong'An?

7. How does a joyous beast reproduce?

8. Why are birds illegal to have as pets?

9. How does the unnamed narrator describe her own work?

10. How does Lefty "tame" the sorrowful beast?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In what instances does Ge employ irony throughout the novel - perhaps especially in the naming of the classes of beasts themselves? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 2

How and why do you think Ge employs ambiguity in both her descriptions of the relationships between sets of characters throughout the book, as well as concerning some major plot points? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

When and how does Ge reveal the true connection the narrator has to various beasts and to the world of strange beasts? Write an essay explaining your answers, citing specific references to the text to help support your conclusions.

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