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Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Who is LT Robert Buckmaster?
2. Who is Summer's mother?
3. How is the rescue team tracking the submarine's location?
4. Why does Delphi let SN Farris live?
5. Where does Dirk land the helicopter after evacuating the Martha Ann?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does Pitt know that the Martha Ann is out of radio contact with the world?
2. What changes ADM Hunter's mind about obeying the destroy orders from the joint Chiefs in Washington D.C.?
3. In both Chapters 9 and 10, Dirk endeavors to get his way by assuring the Naval men that he "will take full responsibility." Why does this seem to be the easiest way for Dirk to gain their compliance?
4. What are the two most important words in the English language according to Dirk? How do they serve Dirk in the battle with the men from the sea in his hotel room?
5. How is the scent of the eucalyptus oil explained? How does it support the theory of the seamount?
6. How do Summer's divided loyalties express themselves in their final moments in the doomed seamount as the missiles hit and the mountain begins to crumble?
7. There are three operations, with different codenames going on simultaneously in Chapter 16. What are their different codenames and objectives?
8. What happens during Dirk's final radio transmission from the C-5airplane before they touch down on the surface of the ocean? what does it mean for their rescue mission?
9. How does LCDR Crowhaven get in touch with Pearl Harbor in spite of Delphi's lock on their radio transmissions? What is the code he uses to communicate with ADM Hunter over the open wires?
10. What is unexpected and distinctly suspicious about the fog that suddenly overwhelms the Martha Ann? What kinds of conditions are required to create fog?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
ADM Hunter's view of and reactions to Dirk will drive certain parts of the plot, especially towards the end of the book. How does ADM Hunter's view of Dirk change throughout the book? Cite specific examples of change moments. Where or to what do these changes lead?
Essay Topic 2
Everything in the submarine seems to indicate that someone is actively maintaining the vessel or at least "picked up afterwards." It seems an obvious inference that there might be someone still on the ship. Yet Dirk and LT March press ahead assuming it is a ghost ship. What might be some reasons for that? Psychological? Other evidence to the contrary? Stubbornness or at least reckless disregard for prudence?
Essay Topic 3
How would you characterize Cussler's writing style in Pacific Vortex? Analyze all of the elements of writing style including the perspective, bias, structure, diction and syntax, imagery, etc. Is this a laudable first effort on Cussler's part? Is there perhaps a stylistic reason it is not the first published book?
This section contains 1,306 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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