Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. China (Chapter 1)

2. Military history (Chapter 2)

3. Lao Xu (Chapter 3)

4. The Great Wall of China (Chapter 5)

5. A spy (Chapter 5)

Short Answer

1. Alex probably feels neglected by his father’s inattention to him. (Various chapters)

2. In China, Alex learns that the host must provide more than enough food for those who are dining with them. If the host runs out of food for his guests, he will “lose face.” (Chapter 4) Western cultures do not usually focus in this way on amounts of food when hosting people or the social repercussions of not having enough food.

Chapters 7-11

Reading Check

1. A video camera (Chapter 7)

2. A Chinese-language class (Chapter 8)

3. Tiananmen Square (Chapter 9)

4. A tearoom (Chapter 11)

5. The people (Chapter 11)

Short Answer

1. Alex’s father, Ted, seems only to care for the video he can acquire. Even when he is concerned about Alex’s well-being, he concedes to allow Alex to leave the hotel only after Alex promises to produce a video.