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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 was Wen Jie's profession?

2. Who was killed along with Ye Wenjie's husband due to an accident at the base, according to the narrative in Chapter 14, "Red Coast IV"?

3. What setting is established in the opening of Chapter 2, "Silent Spring"?

4. For what publication is Bai Mulin a reporter?

5. What gift does Ye Wenjie give to Wang Miao when he visits in Chapter 8, "Ye Wenjie"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What setting is established in Chapter 4, “The Frontiers of Science"? How much time has passed as Part II: "Three-Body" begins?

2. Who is Shao Lin and what is revealed about her character in Chapter 1, "The Madness Years"?

3. Why does Ye Wenjie arrange for Wang to meet Sha Ruishan in Chapter 8, “Ye Wenjie”?

4. What has happened to Ye Wenjie's daughter in the novel?

5. What subjects does Ye Wenjie study in Chapter 12, "Red Coast II"? Why?

6. Who is Ye Zhetai? What is his character's importance in The Three-Body Problem?

7. What setting is established in Chapter 9, "The Universe Flickers"? How is it described?

8. What is the "microwave background" and how is it described in Chapter 9, "The Universe Flickers"?

9. Describe the narrative style in The Three-Body Problem. Does the narrative style change in the course of the novel?

10. Why does Wang Miao visit Ye Wenjie's home in Chapter 8, “Ye Wenjie”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the author's repeated allusions to the book Silent Spring by Rachel Carson in The Three-Body Problem. Who introduces this book to Ye Wenjie? How does the book affect her? How does it influence her actions in the rest of the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the three-body problem in physics and discuss how it applies in this novel. What are the components of the three-body problem? How does it apply to Trisolaris? What research is described on this problem in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the Stable Eras and the Chaotic Eras on Trisolaris. What causes each of these eras to occur? What attempts are made at predicting the eras? What are the impacts of each passing era?

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