2. What does Bao-yu do when the answer from Dai-yu is "no"?
(a) He begins to cry quietly.
(b) He takes her immediately to the pond.
(c) He laughs loudly.
(d) He throws a fit.

3. What is the alleged, but inaccurate, reason given for Jia Rui becoming ill?
(a) His lack of respect for his parents.
(b) An ancient curse.
(c) His many liaisons with prostitutes.
(d) His inability to have Xi-feng.

4. What does Yu-cun let the family know about the murder case?
(a) That they will need to come to court.
(b) That they will need to pay a large sum of money.
(c) That they are indicted until the case is closed.
(d) That the matter of the murder has been cleared up.

5. Who does Dai-yu learn she will be living with even though it is not customary for girls to live with boys?
(a) Shi-fen.
(b) Chen-li.
(c) Bao-yu.
(d) Fen-cun.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who refuses to attend the birthday party?

2. What item of Bao-yu's does Bao-chai want a closer look at when he visits her?

3. What feeling is Bao-yu filled with in his dream?

4. During the party Bao-yu becomes...

5. What does the monk promise to do to the stone?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author establish karma as a central theme in Chapter 1?

2. How are Bao-yu's father's sentiments about Bao-yu depicted in Chapter 9?

3. What does the story of Ying-lian and Feng Yuan suggest about the role of fate and karma in the world of the novel?

4. Why would Dai-yu find it strange that Xi-feng appears to be in charge of household affairs?

5. How does Bao-yu use family ties to his advantage during the events at the school?

6. Although the Jia family throws a spectacular birthday party for Jia Jing even though he refuses to leave the monastery to attend, much of the conversation centers on Qin-shi's puzzling illness. Hypothesize as to why this is.

7. How does the story of Jia Rui teach a lesson about undue lust?

8. What can we understand from Zhen Shi-yin's dream in the first chapter?

9. Is the fact that Dai-yu is offered flowers last in Chapter 7 a reasonable reflection of her status in the house at that time?

10. Why does Xi-feng hush Bao-yu when he questions the drunken servant cursing the Jia family at the Ning house?

(see the answer keys)

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