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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. How long does it take the British to recapture Canton?

2. What possessions of Aristotle's does Maureen Quance destroy?

3. In Chapter 4, who is Dirk waiting to see in Canton?

4. Who wins the ball gown contest?

5. According to Captain Orlov, who will have blood on his hands when he becomes tai-pan.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Brock plan to replace his clipper ships with steam-powered ships?

2. How does Longstaff plan to break into China's tea monopoly?

3. What is Dirk's reason for firing Captain Perry?

4. Why does Dirk have to be very careful when he travels to visit Jin-qua?

5. Who are the three people that Dirk must send to England to receive an English education.

6. Why isn't Sarah able to attend Dirk's ball?

7. Why does Jin-qua order Gordon Chen to do anything that May-may requests of him?

8. What does Dirk believe he will be able to do if he gets the trade monopoly in Russia?

9. Why does Brock panic when Dirk pays his debt to Brock in silver?

10. What does Dirk do to keep the bullion on board his ship a secret when he reaches Hong Kong?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What changes does Culum undergo through the course of the novel? What causes the changes? Is he truly ready to be tai pan at the close of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Why do Dirk and Brock decide to form their uneasy truce? What leads to the truce? Why is it important for these two characters to come to some sort of understanding? What might have happened if they had not called a truce?

Essay Topic 3

Dirk takes many calculated risks throughout the course of the novel. What are the risks he takes? Are his risks wise or foolish? In other words, does Dirk succeed through luck or through shrewd business sense? Why?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 600 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample