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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. How did Ricci learn more about China?

2. Ricci grew up in Macerata during a period of what?

3. How long had the Chinese practiced the art of splitting their idiographs?

4. In the 16th century, who provided funds to Christopher Plantin to write his Bible?

5. What did this person who appeared in Ricci's most significant dream tell him to do?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the training of Matteo Ricci before he arrived in China.

2. What did Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, think of mnemonic devices?

3. What were the three major religions in China?

4. What experiences led to Ricci's skill in drawing maps?

5. Why does Matteo Ricci agree to use his mnemonic techniques to help Governor Lu's sons?

6. What was the new version of the story associated with the first picture "The Apostle in the Waves" that Ricci gave Cheng Dayue?

7. What were Ricci's rules for picking a location to store the information?

8. How and why did Ricci display his spirit of ecumenism in China?

9. When Ricci was a missionary in the 16th century, to what did Ricci compare the hand of God to the Chinese?

10. According to "Chapter One: Building the Palace", what was the size of the Memory Palace that Matteo Ricci used to teach the Chinese people?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The last chapter of the book relies on imagery to convey Ricci's last look at the Memory Palace. Discuss the way the author appeals to the five senses and the way the imagery develops the summation of Ricci's life.

Essay Topic 2

The use of mnemonic devices has a long history, including the Greeks using mnemonics to memorize poetry. Trace the history of mnemonic devices throughout history, including modern use today. What are its advantages and disadvantages? Who uses these techniques today? What does scientific research prove about its value?

Essay Topic 3

Ricci adapts the Chinese ideograph "wu" to explain the concept of peace. Explain the original meaning of "wu" and the way Ricci modified it. Discuss how the events in Ricci's life influenced this alteration.

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