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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. Where does Jack first talk to Aliena about literature?

2. What is the advice William's mother gives him about how to become the earl of Shiring?

3. What happens at the church service in Kingsbridge Cathedral on Whitsunsday?

4. What is Philip granted when he asks for a market license?

5. What news does a page bring to William while he is fighting in the civil war between Maud and Stephen?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe what happens in Kingsbridge Cathedral on Whitunsday after William is confirmed as the earl of Shiring.

2. Describe the young wife of William Hamleigh.

3. Why does Jack invent an ingenious cloth felter for Aliena?

4. What does Aliena teach Elizabeth when they meet each other when seeking shelter from a storm?

5. What are the changes Alfred proposes for the cathedral when Philip names him as master builder?

6. Summarize what takes place when William Hamleigh and his men attack the Kingsbridge market.

7. Describe Aliena's plan to get Shiring back for Richard.

8. Describe Prior Philip's response to William Hamleigh when he arrives in Kingsbridge with his soldiers.

9. What does William Hamleigh decide to do in order to increase the wealth of Shiring when he takes control after his father's death?

10. What does Waleran tell William he should do in order to earn more money for the earldom?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Summarize the life of Prior Philip beginning with the death of his parents up to the point where he becomes Bishop of Kingsbridge.

2) Describe each eventful point in his life.

3) How does Philip react to each defeat and success?

4) How do his attitudes toward the church, morality, government, and his own spirituality change during the novel?

Essay Topic 2

1) Compare the hanging of Jack Shareburg in the beginning of the novel to the hanging of William Hamleigh at the end.

2) Compare the reaction of the two prisoners, and the reaction of the spectators while awaiting the hanging.

3) What do the hangings reveal about the character of Jack and William?

Essay Topic 3

1) Evaluate the elements of cause and effect in this story using examples from the novel.

2) Choose three events and characters from the story which cause their lives to undergo a change.

3) How do the characters react to the events and their effects?

4) How do they change emotionally, financially, and spiritually because of these events?

(see the answer keys)

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