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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. Polo offers two vantage points of Zemrude; one includes:

2. When describing the cities of Eutropia, Polo explains that:

3. What tangible items do merchants trade in Euphemia?

4. Where is the city of Valdrada built?

5. Polo tells Khan that the second half of Sophronia is filled with what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the significance of the evening breeze that Khan and Polo enjoy while conversing on the steps of the palace?

2. What do the different models of the city of Fedora show?

3. In what way is Tamara a city of perceptions and symbols?

4. Why would you say the cities described by Polo in Chapter 3 have an especially dreamy quality about them?

5. Describe how the means of communication between Khan and Polo evolves.

6. What happens from time to time to the temporary part of the city of Sophronia?

7. What does Polo not know about Armilla?

8. Describe the gods in the two religions of Isaura.

9. Even though Zobeide, the white city, was made from the dreams of many men of different nationalities, how do strangers see the place?

10. What does Polo come to realize about language in Hypatia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Which of the two characters, Khan or Polo, has a more realistic understanding of the state of the empire? Which would you say has a more hopeful view of the empire's future? Support your answers with examples from the story.

Essay Topic 2

Polo plays with the concept of light and dark. Some cities have beautiful sides along with darker sides. Give examples of these, describing in detail both sides. Are the sides real or imagined? How do they complete the whole? What do you suppose are Polo's reasons for sharing both sides to the emperor? Explain your answers.

Essay Topic 3

Part 1) Why does Polo filter his stories through his memories of Venice? Why is it important for him to connect his stories of Khan's cities to some aspect of Venice? What does he gain from doing this?

Part 2) How does Emperor Khan react to the notion that Polo's accounts of his empire's cities are colored by his memories of Venice? Does it bother him in any way? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 942 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample