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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 helps Rico with his math?

2. What does Rico think his luck has been down to?

3. What caused the American republic to break up?

4. What department are the brains handed over to?

5. How many different castes of bugs are there?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rico realize about his new life when he visits Vancouver?

2. Describe Rico's meeting with Carmencita.

3. Why has no one committed a 9080 in Zim's training before?

4. What are Rasczak's and Jelal's roles aboard the Rodger Young?

5. What was the revolt of the scientists?

6. Why are the recruits more shocked at a flogging than seeing death?

7. Why does the army want to punish Dillinger?

8. Summarize Chapter 9.

9. What does Frankel order Zim to do?

10. What does Rico think about during the thirty days mourning?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine Heinlein's representation of sergeants in fiction. Is he a typical sergeant in fiction? Do you think Heinlein's representation of Zim was influential? What other similar sergeants can they think of? How realistic do you think Heinlein's portrayal of a sergeant is?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the values of 1950s America.

1) Why was spirituality finding oneself such an issue during this time?

2) In what ways are the characters' negative characteristics a product of their time? Do you think America was going through a transitional phase in the fifties? What significant changes do you think occurred during this period?

3) Does modern society share any values with fifties America?

Essay Topic 3

Why does the flogging have such an adverse affect on the other soldiers? Do the students think the flogging was as much to prove a point to everybody as it was to punish Hendrick? Do you think that Hendrick's conduct deserved such a punishment? Why did they not just throw him out of the army?

(see the answer keys)

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