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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 activity will end the day of festivities?

2. Who orchestrates the run on Dirk's bank?

3. What do Dirk and Culum press Brock to grant Culum?

4. With what does Dirk bribe Chinese officials?

5. After Dirk flogs May-may, what does she tell him?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What are the stakes in the wager that Dirk and Zergeyev make on the prize fight?

3. As Zergeyev is judging the gown contest, why does he try to find out who Dirk favors?

4. How does Gordon Chen build up the Hung Mun in Hong Kong?

5. How does Brock know about Dirk's financial problems?

6. Why does Dirk oppose Longstaff's idea of evacuating Happy Valley?

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

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

9. Why does Dirk view Hong Kong as a valuable prize?

10. How does Dirk feel about the way Culum solves the problem of the knoll?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the setting, both physical and historical, affect the plot of Tai-Pan? What is the importance of picking this specific time in history to set the novel in? Could the story have worked in a different historical setting? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What motivates Jin-qua to help save The Noble House? Are his intentions honorable or is he simply trying to help himself and using The Noble House as a pawn? Or, is there a little bit of honor and self-interest at the same time?

Essay Topic 3

What point of view is used to tell this story? Why is it necessary to use this point of view? Would another perspective work? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 614 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample