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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 does Aliena tell Jack she is going to do after ten years of living apart?

2. Who convinces Waleran to block Aliena's annulment from Alfred?

3. Why is Alfred marrying Aliena?

4. What does Tom give to Jack that no other man could give?

5. What does Alfred do when he is unable to perform on his wedding night?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Aliena teach Elizabeth when they meet each other when seeking shelter from a storm?

2. Why does Alfred come to see Jack after 10 years with no communication?

3. What happens when Jack and Aliena bring the Weeping Madonna, which was a gift from Jack's friend, Raschid, to Kingsbridge?

4. What are the changes Alfred proposes for the cathedral when Philip names him as master builder?

5. Describe Prior Philip's response to William Hamleigh when he arrives in Kingsbridge with his soldiers.

6. Summarize the first meeting between Jack and Aliena when Jack finds her reading in the woods.

7. Describe what happens in Kingsbridge Cathedral on Whitunsday after William is confirmed as the earl of Shiring.

8. What does William Hamleigh decide to do in order to increase the wealth of Shiring when he takes control after his father's death?

9. Why does Alfred force Aliena to sleep on the floor at the foot of the bed?

10. Describe the reaction of the masons working on Kingbridge cathedral when Jack announces that some of them are going to be laid off.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Imagine you are an historian reading Pillars of the Earth. Would you see the story as historically accurate?

2) Use details from the story to support your answer.

3) What plot or setting descriptions would you change to make it more historically accurate?

4) Are the historical figures, such as King Henry and Thomas Beckett, depicted accurately? Support the answer with examples from the novel.

Essay Topic 2

1) Summarize the building of the new cathedral at Kingsbridge from the time the old church is burned down to the completion of the cathedral many years later.

2) Include the architectural styles used by each of the three master builders that were hired throughout the years and the setbacks to the cathedral construction.

3) Describe the style of the completed Kingsbridge Cathedral and the master builder's design.

Essay Topic 3

1) Describe the steps Aliena must go through in order to start up her wool business.

2) What supplies does she purchase, who does she consult, and what business associates does she meet?

3) How does Aliena adapt her business to grow and prosper through the years?

4) Summarize the prosperous times, as well as the times of hardship.

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