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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. Who does the narrator come to stay with for an extended period in Part III?

2. Who does the narrator think might be her father in Part IV?

3. Which beasts have been extinct a long time?

4. How does Jiang Tan die?

5. How big are the litters of female prime beasts, usually?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the narrator tell Zhong Liang her stories have to be fairly simple?

2. What kind of relationship seems to be developing between Zhong Liang and the narrator in Part IV?

3. What kind of relationship does the narrator have with Fei Fei in Part III?

4. How does the narrator realize she herself is a heartsick beast?

5. What happens to Lucia's heartsick beast when the narrator takes care of it?

6. What do impasse beasts feed on?

7. Why do female prime beasts sometimes kill their own children?

8. What theory does the narrator hatch about her own history with prime beasts?

9. How does the narrator arrange for her cousin's family to be saved from the debacle at the airport?

10. Why is the wood of flourishing beast saplings so valuable?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

In what ways, and my what means, are various beasts exploited and/or oppressed by people throughout the novel? Write an essay explaining your answers.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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