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

2. What is the name of the prestigious family about which the story is told?

3. Which character from earlier in the book resurfaces working as a maid under the name Caltrop?

4. What does Aroma realize about Bao-yu as she helps him redress after his nap?

5. How does Jia Rui eventually die?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Describe Bao-yu's relationship to alcohol in Chapter 8.

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

4. In what ways is more of Xi-feng's character revealed in her thoughts about Qin-shi and her dealings with Jia Rui?

5. How is the divide between rich and poor developed in Chapter 2?

6. In what ways are fear of shame and being poor seen in Chapter 6?

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

8. Discuss the concepts of fate and destiny in relation to the meeting at which Bao-chai looks at Bao-yu's jade.

9. Why does Vanitas change his name to Brother Amor?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

"In The Story of the Stone, the keeping of secrets frequently benefits all concerned." In your perception, is this statement true or false? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What is the author's reasoning behind having such a large number of important and clearly defined characters? Illustrate your answer with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Explore the ways the author illustrates the divide between poor classes and rich classes in the novel and the various grey areas surrounding that divide.

(see the answer keys)

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