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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 does Master Fei Qun visit?

2. What does Hong learn about Ye Pan?

3. Why is Daiyun upset with Chen?

4. What do Hong and Lu think is unlikely?

5. What does Ye Pan give Hong before Hong leaves?

Short Essay Questions

1. What test taker treats the brothers to tea and what does he tell Chen about the examination?

2. What does Hong do while Chen is receiving his award?

3. How is the truth of the brothers decided?

4. How does Hong intend to help his brother Chen, and what are the names of his two crickets?

5. What talent does Chen have and at what age does this talent show?

6. Why is Bao angry at Hong and to what does Hong finally agree?

7. What does Shen Ding advise Chen to do on the last day of the exam, what does Chen decide to do and why?

8. What does Ye Pan tell Hong when Hong gives him the letter? What does he invite Hong to do?

9. Who visits Chen before he leaves and what does he ask?

10. Where and with whom do the boys live, and why is their life style less than it should be?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Lao Chen is no exception. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when Chen demonstrates his prodigious powers intellect. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze Chen's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think Chen's admirable traits helped him obtain a high position in the government despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those around him seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

Essay Topic 2

This novel is more character driven rather than action driven, and obviously there are several characters who make the novel what it is. Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast the characters of Hong and Chen. Include their goals, sense of honor, abilities and social skills.

2. Compare/contrast the characters of Chen and Shen Ding.

3. Thoroughly analyze the character of Lao Chen discussing both his strong and weak points and how both affect the outcome of the plot.

Essay Topic 3

Oftentimes, a book is more of a character-driven plot rather than action driven, and oftentimes the other way. Some books seem to balance the two. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think it means to say that a plot is character driven? Action driven?

2. How do you think a plot differs if it is character driven versus action driven?

3. Which type of plot do you find more interesting? Why?

4. Do you think it is possible to have a plot where action and character development share equal time? Why or why not.

5. What type of plot do you think "The Examination" is? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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