Topic Question:

Make an argument answering the question: Has the economic growth of the Reform Era benefited the common urban resident in China?

Your thesis statement should be 1-2 sentences that present your answer to the above question. Your paper will then fully develop your argument in support of your thesis statement.

Before answering the above question and coming up with your thesis statement, consider the following questions, which should help you come up with how you want to answer the topic question.

Chinese officials have transformed Beijing and China in the course of a generation. HasChina's rapid economic growth translated into new opportunities and better lives?

Have tradition and modernity blended to create a new way of life or has tradition been abandoned?

Assess the impact of the reform era on the lives of Chinese urban residents as portrayed in the movies.