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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. Who convinced Bragg that Watson and Crick should not be working on the problem of the structure of DNA?

2. Where did Watson go for Christmas?

3. About how long did Crick think it would take he and Watson to narrow down the number of possible DNA structures?

4. What is crystallography?

5. What did Wilkin's x-rays show?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Watson's position on life and work?

2. What statement did Rosy make about the idea that helices were the answer to the structure of DNA?

3. How did Maurice think it would be best to find a model of DNA?

4. Describe Francis Crick's home.

5. In what way might this book be considered an apology for the winning of the Nobel Prize by Watson and Crick?

6. What was Watson's breakthrough an implication for?

7. Why did Watson and Crick want a new start?

8. Why was it illegal for Watson to move to Cambridge?

9. What realization did Watson come to years after their discovery of the structure of DNA in regards to Rosy?

10. What specific information was Crick interested in from Rosy's lecture that Watson had a difficult time retrieving?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay describing how a competitive streak drives scientists. Use examples from the text to show an example of this idea.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about the author's depiction of women throughout the novel. Provide specific examples of depictions aligning with physical descriptions and whether or not you believe they are fair and accurate.

Essay Topic 3

At one point in the novel, Rosy seems very agitated and almost at the point of violence. Write an essay about this event including: Where does this fit of temper come from? Is it truly as the author describes it or is it somehow misinterpreted by him?

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