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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who remarked to all the ladies gathered in the corridor to watch that it "must make [them] laugh to see the foolish old man?"
(a) The Empress.
(b) The Emperor.
(c) Tadanobu.
(d) The Chancellor.

2. Who recited the perfect lines at the gathering following the service dedicated to the late Chancellor?
(a) The Emperor.
(b) Shonagon.
(c) Tadanobu.
(d) Yukinari.

3. How many attendants helped the Shigei Sha with her ablutions?
(a) Two.
(b) Four.
(c) Six.
(d) Eight.

4. How many times a day did the woman Shonagon saw coming does the hill to the Upper Shrine say she was making the pilgrimage?
(a) Seven.
(b) Two.
(c) Five.
(d) Eleven.

5. A promotion to what rank changed a man who was previously a Subordinate Official so much that he seemed to have been reborn?
(a) Chamberlain.
(b) Palace guard.
(c) Gentleman-in-waiting.
(d) Grounds keeper.

6. What was the poem Captain Tadanobu was going to recite in "One Day Captain Tadanobu, the Imperial Adviser, Came to Call?"
(a) Cherry blossoms in the spring.
(b) The Chancellor's death.
(c) The Fourth Month in this world of men.
(d) A beautiful woman looking at the moon.

7. What kind of pond did Shonagon like best?
(a) One that was wild and covered with weeds.
(b) A nicely kept pond.
(c) One with fish.
(d) A pond with a bridge and flowers.

8. What did the High Priestess travel in during the Return Procession from Kamo?
(a) Palm leaf carriage.
(b) Palanquin.
(c) Wicker-work carriage.
(d) Oxen cart.

9. In "Enviable Things" what hour was it when Shonagon was still only half way to the top of the hill to get to the Upper Shrine?
(a) The Hour of the Dog.
(b) The Hour of the Horse.
(c) The Hour of the Snake.
(d) The Hour of the Rat.

10. When Shonagon first went into waiting, what was the only time of day she wanted to go before the Empress?
(a) Afternoon.
(b) Early morning.
(c) Late morning.
(d) Night.

11. Which of these did Shonagon say loses by being painted?
(a) Cranes.
(b) Mountain villages.
(c) Pines.
(d) Cherry blossoms.

12. Who did Shonagon say would not covet being a member of the Fifth Rank?
(a) Page boys.
(b) Priests.
(c) Chamberlains of the Sixth Rank.
(d) Chamberlains of the Fourth Rank.

13. What kind of lodging did Shonagon stay in in "Shortly after the Twentieth of the Ninth Month?"
(a) Beautiful.
(b) Simple.
(c) Ugly.
(d) Elaborate.

14. Who did Shonagon say was especially likely to be confronted with shameful things if he was a light sleeper?
(a) An oxen driver.
(b) A Chamberlain.
(c) The Emperor.
(d) A priest.

15. For what occasion did the Empress have to leave the Palace while they were in mourning for the Chancellor?
(a) The Iris Festival.
(b) The Dedication of the Texts.
(c) The Great Purification.
(d) Her brother's wedding.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "When His Excellency, the Chancellor, Had Departed" who reminded Shonagon of the next line of a poem she had forgotten?

2. Where did Shonagon like to sit after a thin fall of snow?

3. To whom did the Emperor pay his respects when he returned from his visit to Yawata?

4. Which of these did Shonagon say was distant but near?

5. What did Shonagon say was pretty when it was mixed with pure white snow?

(see the answer keys)

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