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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. Watching the soldiers depart after the square formation, what would an observer wonder?

2. During what time period do the events in the story take place?

3. Unk's rifle is a vintage model. From which war is his gun?

4. Who is WInston Rumfoord?

5. What is chrono-synclasticinfundibulum?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Unk's son get his name?

2. What did the invitation to witness the materialization say regarding the relationship between Malachi and Winston? Why is this odd for Malachi?

3. How does Ransom's philosophy actually help him in business?

4. How does Beatrice become penniless?

5. What is the most important rule in the Martian army?

6. Who is Martin Koradubian?

7. How does Malachi gain entrance to the estate in order to witness the materialization?

8. When Beatrice and Winston are together in Skip's Museum, why is Beatrice upset with Winston?

9. What are goofballs and what is their purpose?

10. What do the flags flying in front of the army barracks signify?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The entire story takes place primarily in four different locations. Compare and contrast each of the four primary locations in the story - Earth, Mars, Mercury, and Titan. Be sure to include how the characters are treated on each of these planets, as well as how they eat, live, and interact with each other. Of the four locations in the story, which location would you most prefer to live in and why?

Essay Topic 2

Before Malachi is sent to Mars, the materializations that occur are done so in secret - no witnesses are allowed for the events. After Malachi is on Mars, Marlin Lapp takes over the estate and sells tickets to the materializations. Why does Rumfoord allow the later materializations to be witnessed, but not the earlier materializations? How does this serve his ultimate purpose? What might have happened if the earlier materializations had been witnessed? What might have happened if no one wanted to witness the later materializations?

Essay Topic 3

Unk struggles to regain the memories that have been stolen from him. What made Unk fight to recover his memories? Why were these memories important to him? What function did memory erasure serve in furthering Rumfoord's mission?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 677 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample