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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. Who scolds the maids for their mess?

2. Where does Yuan-chun order that the girls of the house and Bao-yu be allowed to live?

3. What is most important about The Temple of the Iron Threshold in relation to Qin-shi?

4. What causes Qin Zhong's father to die?

5. What does Aroma urge Bao-yu to stop eating?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do the children move into the Prospect Garden?

2. In Chapter 20, how does Bao-yu show that he cares about Dai-yu?

3. What is revealed about Xi-feng's character in the episode involving a servant woman bringing money to her?

4. Why does Jia Zheng finally start to warm to Bao-yu?

5. In what ways are Bao-yu's intellectual abilities displayed in the events surrounding Yuan-chun's visit?

6. What can be understood from the relationship between Qin Zhong and Sappy?

7. What superstition in Chapter 21 is shown to be false?

8. Analyze Bao-yu's interactions with his father Jia Zheng during the naming party.

9. Why is Dai-yu overcome with grief as she listens to the words of the actresses rehearsing in the garden?

10. How is Qin-shi's honor and devotion to family seen before she dies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How is the framing story of the stone's background an effective foundation for the author to build the rest of the action upon?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss whether the use of symbolism in the novel is effective. Make reference to the stone of the title and at least two other examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of illness to the story? Discuss with at least three examples and why the author chooses to make these characters ill.

(see the answer keys)

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