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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. As Chapter 14 opens, how old is Carmen and Bob's baby?

2. During their expedition in Chapter 11, when Roy wishes for a torch light what does Rod wish for?

3. Which two students say goodbye to Rod, before they leave through the gate for Terra?

4. Why does Bob order Rod to avoid heavy work and sleep on his stomach, after Rod's argument with Jock in Chapter 8?

5. How is the first part of Chapter 11 different from the rest of the novel?

Short Essay Questions

1. When rescuers arrive, who is the only student who refuses to return home?

2. What does Deacon Matson finally define as a stobor?

3. What vote do the students make while Rod is recovering from the dopey joe attack?

4. The first part of Chapter 11 is told from whose point of view?

5. At the end of the novel, what is Rod doing?

6. How does Grant use the incident between Rod and Jock in Chapter 8 to overthrow Rod from his leadership position?

7. What do Rod and Roy discover, as far downstream as they can go?

8. Where does Rod think the students should move their colony?

9. Early in Chapter 8, how is Jack injured?

10. In Chapter 10, why is Caroline appointed historian for the settlement?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What important lessons does Rod Walker learn by the end of the novel? How do those lessons reveal and reinforce the novel's main theme? What is the main theme of "Tunnel in the Sky?"

Essay Topic 2

Near the end of the novel when officials from Terra arrive to rescue the students, why is Rod the only one who wishes to stay on the new planet? Why are the other students so anxious to leave, even though many had previously stated that they would never want to return home? What irresistible attractions draw them home, that could never be replicated in Cowpertown?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the main character's changing perception of "stobor" throughout the novel. What, ultimately, is a "stobor?" Why should everyone watch out for "stobor?"

(see the answer keys)

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