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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. Esmeralda is known as the city of what?

2. The people of Lenia awaken each day and:

3. What do the residents of Ersilia do?

4. As he travels through Adelma, what does Polo wonder?

5. What is one of Khan's biggest worries regarding his empire?

Short Essay Questions

1. As Khan visualizes the growth of his empire, what are some of the concerns he has?

2. When Polo suggests to Khan that the garden where they share stories may exist only in their minds and that, in reality, they may still be traveling, what does the emperor say?

3. What are the theories regarding why the inhabitants of Baucis live up in the clouds and rarely climb down to the ground?

4. Describe the two species that protect Leandra.

5. When people get lost in Eudoxia, what do they look at to find their bearings?

6. What eventually happens to travelers who decide to stay in Phyllis to discover all of its secrets?

7. How does Clarice preserve and display its history?

8. How does the perception of the city of Irene change depending on whether it's viewed by passersby or by inhabitants?

9. When Polo speaks of imperfections in the wood of Khan's chessboard, how does the emperor respond?

10. What does Polo say to Khan when the emperor points out that he never speaks of Venice?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The two main characters question reality to the point where they are not sure if they are presently traveling and only dreaming of being in Khan's garden, or presently relaxing in the garden while dreaming of their travels. Which do you think is the case? Why? Support your conclusion with evidence from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Part 1) Compare and contrast the two characters in the story, Kublai Khan and Marco Polo. In what ways are they similar? How are they different?

Part 2) What kind of a relationship do Khan and Polo have? What does each learn from the other? Do the characters grow and develop in any way through their interactions with each other? If so, how? Cite examples from the book to support your answers.

Essay Topic 3

A common thread through Polo's tales of Khan's cities is "dreams and imagination." His stories are not only informative, but also extremely entertaining for the emperor thanks to the element of fantasy Polo employs.

1) Using specific examples from the book, explain how Marco Polo carries the theme of "dreams and imagination" in his stories.

2) How does this theme grab and hook Khan into Polo's tales?

(see the answer keys)

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