If You Could See the Sun – Full Book Quiz
Quiz Questions
Plot and Sequence (8 questions)
- What triggers Alice’s invisibility at the Top Achiever Awards ceremony?
- A. She is angry at Henry for tying with her.
- B. She feels cold and dazed after learning she might leave Airington.
- C. She bumps into Andrew She.
- D. She sees her reflection disappear.
- What app do Alice and Henry create to monetize her invisibility? (Short answer)
- In Chapter 5, what is Alice’s first paid task as Beijing Ghost?
- A. Steal exam answers.
- B. Gather evidence of infidelity.
- C. Delete photos from a phone.
- D. Kidnap a student.
- How does Alice delete the compromising photos from Jake Nguyen’s phone?
- A. She hacks his account.
- B. She steals his phone while Chanel distracts Peter and Henry spills coffee.
- C. She blackmails him.
- D. She asks Rainie to do it.
- Why does Alice agree to cheat by stealing Mr. Murphy’s history exam? (Short answer)
- In Chapter 12, Andrew She offers Alice one million RMB to do what?
- A. Cheat on a test.
- B. Deliver a package.
- C. Kidnap Peter Oh.
- D. Disappear permanently.
- During the Experiencing China trip, what interrupts Alice and Henry’s almost-kiss?
- A. A teacher.
- B. Four drunk classmates.
- C. Chanel calling.
- D. Alice’s invisibility wearing off.
- After the kidnapping goes wrong, what happens to Alice? (Short answer)
Character Motivation (5 questions)
- Why does Henry Li initially agree to help Alice with Beijing Ghost?
- A. He wants to be friends with her.
- B. He sees it as a fun competition and a business opportunity.
- C. He is blackmailed by Alice.
- D. He wants to expose her later.
- Why does Chanel Cao hire Beijing Ghost in Chapter 5? (Short answer)
- What primarily motivates Alice’s intense academic drive?
- A. Fear of disappointing her parents and losing her scholarship.
- B. A simple desire to beat Henry at everything.
- C. Pressure from teachers like Mr. Murphy.
- D. Her love of learning for its own sake.
- Why does Rainie Lam hire Beijing Ghost to delete photos from Jake Nguyen’s phone?
- A. To protect her reputation from revenge porn.
- B. To get revenge on Jake for a past insult.
- C. She is being blackmailed by Jake.
- D. She wants to help Alice prove her power.
- Why does Mr. Chen help Alice find a scholarship at another school? (Short answer)
Theme and Symbol (4 questions)
- The White Rabbit candy that Henry gives Alice in Chapter 8 symbolizes:
- A. Their ongoing rivalry.
- B. Childhood memories and comfort connected to her grandmother.
- C. The wealth and privilege of Airington.
- D. The exact cost of her tuition.
- What does the recurring motif of invisibility represent for Alice? (Short answer)
- The sunrise at the end of the novel primarily symbolizes:
- A. The start of a new school day.
- B. Hope and new beginnings for Alice and Henry.
- C. The end of Alice’s invisibility power.
- D. The final showdown with the school board.
- What does the bronze Buddha statue and toothpick episode with Xiaoyi teach Alice?
- A. That curses can become gifts depending on how you use them.
- B. To always carry a toothpick for good luck.
- C. That her invisibility is a permanent curse.
- D. To rely on religious rituals for solutions.
Synthesis (3 questions)
- How does Alice’s character change from the beginning to the end of the novel? (Short answer)
- Which of the following best compares Alice’s and Henry’s motivations?
- A. Both are driven solely by a desire for wealth.
- B. Alice is driven by survival and family duty, while Henry is driven by competition and parental expectation.
- C. Henry is far more ambitious than Alice.
- D. Both want to leave Airington as soon as possible.
- In what way does the novel critique the dark academia and elite boarding school environment? (Short answer)
Answer Key
Plot and Sequence Answers
- B. In Chapter 1, after learning she might be pulled out of Airington due to tuition, Alice feels cold and dazed, then turns invisible for the first time.
- Beijing Ghost. Henry builds the app in Chapter 4, and they launch it as a paid service.
- B. Her first assignment is to gather evidence of infidelity involving a man named Cao xiansheng (Chanel’s father).
- B. In Chapter 7, Chanel flirts with Peter, Henry spills coffee on Jake, and invisible Alice searches Jake’s room and deletes the photos.
- She needs money for tuition and feels overwhelming pressure from her family’s sacrifices. The outline shows that after a flashback to her mother’s stabbing and financial ruin, she decides she cannot stop.
- C. Andrew She offers one million RMB to kidnap Peter Oh during the Experiencing China trip (Chapter 12).
- B. Four drunk classmates enter Henry’s hotel room and begin gossiping about Beijing Ghost, interrupting the intimate moment (Chapter 15).
- She is sent home from the trip, and later the school decides to expel her after the semester ends. (Chapters 17–20)
Character Motivation Answers
- B. Henry calls their rivalry a “fun competition” and negotiates a 50-50 split, showing he sees the app as a business venture and a way to challenge Alice.
- She wants evidence of her father’s infidelity. The outline notes that after the assignment, Chanel is crying over the photos and realizes Alice is Beijing Ghost.
- A. Throughout the novel, Alice’s drive is rooted in fear of letting down her parents, who sacrificed everything for her education. The outline repeatedly emphasizes family sacrifice and tuition pressure.
- A. Rainie hires Beijing Ghost to delete nude photos that Jake plans to send out, which would ruin her reputation. (Chapter 6)
- He understands her struggles because he himself came from a poor background and wants to help lift others up. In Chapter 20, Mr. Chen shares his own story of being the first in his village to attend college, and he says it’s nice when others help lift us up.
Theme and Symbol Answers
- B. The White Rabbit candy triggers a memory of Alice’s grandmother (Nainai), who died from a stroke. The candy represents childhood comfort and the loss of that innocence.
- It represents her feeling of being unseen due to her class status and her lack of belonging at Airington, as well as her desire to control her own fate. The outline notes invisibility as a metaphor for belonging and social isolation.
- B. The final scene shows Alice and Henry holding hands as the sun rises, a promise of hope and the sun-soaked days to come. (Chapter 20)
- A. Xiaoyi explains that the universe sometimes gives curses that may become gifts, and that change is temporary. (Chapter 3)
Synthesis Answers
- Alice evolves from a desperate, grade-obsessed student willing to compromise her morals (cheating, kidnapping) into someone who accepts consequences, finds self-worth beyond academic validation, and embraces genuine relationships with Henry, Chanel, and her family. By the end, she turns Beijing Ghost into a legitimate tutoring app and takes responsibility for her actions.
- B. Alice acts out of survival and family duty; Henry’s privileged background allows him to see their rivalry as a game, though he also faces pressure from his demanding father. The novel highlights this class difference repeatedly.
- The novel critiques how systemic inequality and lack of support push scholarship students like Alice into crime, while wealthy students face few consequences. It shows that the school’s emphasis on prestige ignores the real struggles of students from lower-income backgrounds. The outline and evidence underscore this critique, especially in Alice’s speech to the school board.
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