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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. How does Moira's father say he wants to go when the time comes?

2. What does Dwight say is coming in very evenly all around the world?

3. Why was the war limited to the Northern hemisphere?

4. Why does Peter not hold out much hope for a naval assignment?

5. What assignment does Peter receive?

Short Essay Questions

1. How has the war simplified life in Australia to a large extent?

2. How do some people hold the hope that one day humans will again populate the Earth?

3. How does Shute explain the proliferation of atomic weapons?

4. How had Dwight been warned of the possibility of the war?

5. How is Moira Davidson dealing with the eminent threat of death by radiation?

6. Explain where is it deemed possible that life might actually be able to continue on Earth?

7. How does the story begin?

8. What does John Osbourne estimate was the size of the nuclear war that was fought?

9. What is Dwight's experience in church the weekend he spends with Peter and Mary?

10. What is the problem with Moira's ability to understand what has happened in the world?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on suicide as a way of avoiding an otherwise very painful death. Include the moral aspects of suicide in general and explain whether or not you think there may be extenuating circumstances that make suicide acceptable.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay on living out your dreams. John Osbourne in the novel actually missed many years of excitement and pleasure by not racing cars until it was almost too late. In your essay talk about following your dreams because all of life is uncertain anyway.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the value of friendships. Using John and Peter as examples, write about the support one gets from making good friendships in life. Sometimes family is not near or for some reason cannot offer the support a good friend has to offer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 640 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample