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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 has Bao taken upon herself to do?

2. What nickname has Lao Chen earned?

3. What people are banned from taking the exam again forever?

4. What does Hong promise Fei Qun?

5. Why does Chen accede to his school master's request?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Who is suspicious of the brothers, why and what does he intend to do?

3. Give a brief description of the two boys, Lao Hong and Lao Chen.

4. What does Chen promise his father and what is the likelihood of him keeping that promise?

5. What does Shen Ding explain to Chen about the grading of the exams?

6. How does Chen figure out that Shen Ding tried to ruin Chen's chances at passing the exam?

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 surprises Hong when the boys leave on their journey and how does Chen feel about it?

9. What town do the brothers reach after leaving Ma's home, what do they do and of what does Hong make certain?

10. How does Hong's match turn out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bosse has tried as much as possible to use historical events and facts around which to weave his work of fiction. Discuss the following:

1. Do you think this book qualifies as an historical fiction? Why or why not?

2. If much of the events in the book are historical, what surprises you about the way the events play out?

3. Do you think the culture of that era is more or less advanced than you imagined? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Women are not equals with men in China in the 12th century. Discuss the following:

1. Define the term "gender."

2. Discuss the Chinese cultural definitions of gender gender during the era of "The Examination" and the expectations for each gender. Do any of those expectations exist today?

3. Would you like to live in a culture that has those expectations for men and women that are revealed in "The Examination"? Discuss fully with examples from the text.

4. Are women the only ones harmed by gender-based expectations? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Many events that happen in "The Examination" are foreshadowed by previous events and/or signs. Discuss the following:

1. Define the literary term "foreshadow."

2. Why would an author use foreshadowing? Do you think it adds or detracts from your experience as a reader? Explain.

3. Trace and analyze five instances of foreshadowing in "The Examination". Match up what is mentioned earlier and what it foreshadows. Did you guess that each instance of foreshadowing was a "heads up" of something to come? Why or why not.

(see the answer keys)

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