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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 caused marine accidents during the 16th century in the Chinese seas?

2. What did Ricci do to the first Chinese idiograph?

3. What were the meanings of the split idiographs of "wu"?

4. In the 16th century, which Chinese religions had Trinitarian aspects?

5. Who were the "huihui of the cross" during the 16th century when Ricci was in China?

Short Essay Questions

1. What were the three major religions in China?

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

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

4. Does the author know with certainty where Ricci picked up the idea of mnemonic devices?

5. Where was the Memory Palace to be built?

6. What were some of the outside influences affecting Ricci's home city of Macerata?

7. How did these outside influences affect Ricci while growing up in Macerata?

8. During the 16th century, why did the Jesuits send two copies of their letters on two different passages when they wrote home?

9. What were the names of the ships during Ricci's trip from Lisbon to Goa in 1578?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

China was a very isolated country during the life of Matteo Ricci and fought off outside influences. Discuss the reasons for the Chinese isolationism. Explain how China sought to keep Westerners out. Discuss the circumstances that brought about changes to this Chinese xenophobia.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Ricci's attitude towards money and the way his attitude reflected or disagreed with the Jesuit philosophy about money and profit.

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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