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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. Why do Robb and Liza leave the ball?

2. What kind of a ship do Dirk and Culum see from the mountain?

3. Who buys the knoll to build a church?

4. What kind of epidemic sweeps through Queens Town?

5. What is the Hung Mun Tong?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What does Brock do that causes Dirk to accuse him of piracy?

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

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

7. Why doesn't Dirk want to move their operations out of Happy Valley?

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

9. Why do the merchants think they will be attacked when they are at the Canton settlement?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What role do the church and religion play in Tai-Pan? How does Dirk feel about religion and the church? How does May-may feel about religion? Why does she consider converting to Christianity and why does she decide against conversion?

Essay Topic 2

At the beginning of the novel, what is the financial situation of The Noble House? How did the company get into this situation? What is the deal between Jin-qua and Dirk and why is it necessary in saving The Noble House?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the culture clash between the English and the Chinese people in this novel. Where do we see the clash? How does the clash affect the events of the story?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 594 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample