View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why, according to Caroline in Chapter 12, can't Bob and Carmen move to a new settlement site anytime soon?

2. Why does Rod insist, at the end of Chapter 13, that the students should stay put rather than move their settlement?

3. As described in Chapter 14, how often does the settlement hold square dances?

4. When Rod and Roy reach the downstream end of the river on their expedition, what do they find?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What happens to Grant during the dopey joes' aggressive period?

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

5. Why do some students in the settlement start to feel disenchanted with Grant's leadership?

6. In Chapter 9 how does Grant use the wedding of Bob and Carmen to his advantage?

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

8. Under Grant's leadership, how frequently are town meetings held?

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

10. During a square dance in Chapter 14, what do almost all of the students say they would do if rescuers come?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the family dynamics of the Walker family, as depicted early in the novel. Why do Rod's parents conceal from him the fact that Rod's father is terminally ill and the fact that both of Rod's parents plan to be frozen for twenty years in the hope that a cure will be found? How do the family dynamics change by the final chapter, as a result of Rod's new life experiences and the passage of time?

Essay Topic 2

Foreshadowing is a useful literary technique, in which an author hints at future events in subtle ways. Much can be learned about characters, based on their ability to recognize or overlook such clues. Describe and discuss at least two examples of foreshadowing in "Tunnel in the Sky." If applicable, also describe and discuss an instance of potential foreshadowing that remained unrealized.

Essay Topic 3

Main character Rod exhibits a tendency to jump to false conclusions. List other examples of Rod's faulty logic. How does Rod's reputation for jumping to false conclusions influence the other students, when he tries to warn them about the vulnerability of their settlement?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 813 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample