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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 is the name of the cave where Shen Fu would go with others in order to cool off? _________ Cave.

2. Shen Fu notes that when he tried to sell paintings from his home, he did not make enough in _________ days to pay the expenses of one.

3. Shen Fu finds out that a ________ stomach can not handle the taste of meat at first.

4. To Shen Fu, the colored ________ were enough to make a person dizzy and the songs and music of the pipes could be overwhelming.

5. Hung-kan tells the boatman that he and Shen Fu aren't just climbing the mountain, but are looking for a place to ___________.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why are the visits that Shen Fu makes with his friend during a more special time than any other time?

2. What happens when the others seem to accuse Shen Fu and Yun of so many things which end up being misunderstandings?

3. When Shen Fu's father stopped receiving letters from Shen Fu's mother, what did he think of Yun?

4. What are the two mountains Shen Fu can see when he accepts the position from the magistrate at the age of 25?

5. What did Yun do so that their children were going to be able to stay warm in the cold months?

6. What is Yun's position in the Shen Fu family's house, according to the book and the story?

7. Why wasn't it a good idea to feed the novice at the monastery, according to Shen Fu?

8. Why was Yun cast out of the house, according to the writings of Shen Fu?

9. What does Shen Fu think the manicured gardens of the neighborhood do for the gods?

10. What did Shen Fu's mother think about Yun finding Chia-fu a concubine?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The family dynamics for Shen Fu and Yun are played out in the many ways the family mocks them and disowns them for trying to be happy.

Part 1: Why do you think it's so common for families to be the worst critics of their own children?

Part 2: How do you think you would handle so much criticism from your own family?

Part 3: Do you think that Shen Fu and Yun should have simply listened to their families? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

As she is dying, Yun talks to her husband about how she asked for too much in her life and lived like a goddess when she was with him.

Part 1: Do you think it's possible to ask for too much from life?

Part 2: Why do you think Yun feels guilty, or so it seems, about the way her life has been so good to her?

Part 3: How do you think you would respond if someone spoke to you like this?

Essay Topic 3

Shen Fu's best friend dies when they are very young, and Shen Fu always misses him as a result.

Part 1: Do you think it's harder to lose a friend when you are older or younger?

Part 2: How do you think you will feel if you lose a friend today versus when you are older?

Part 3: Why do you think Shen Fu is still so attached to his friend, even though he died many years before?

(see the answer keys)

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