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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. What is Badri supposed to do?

2. What does Dunworthy tell Badri about his illness.

3. What is the mother like?

4. What is the priest doing with Kivrin?

5. What does Kivrin realize shortly after waking and knowing she is back in time?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does Dunworthy try to communicate with again and what does he realize through talking with the man?

2. What does Kivrin do to ensure she can find her pick up spot again and what is her first entry in her Doomsday Book?

3. What are some of the problems of quarantine with which Dunworthy has to handle?

4. What is the policy about sending historians to the medieval period and how is the department getting around the policy?

5. Where does Dunworthy go after he's medically cleared, and what does he learn?

6. Describe Badri.

7. What are Dunworthy and the others told when they are released from the hospital?

8. How does Colin explain his presence in the quarantine line?

9. Why does Badri come to find Dunworthy and where does Badri and Dunworthy go?

10. Describe James Dunworthy.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In chapter 8, Dunworthy tries explaining to Gilchrist the "rules" of the net. Discuss the following:

1. Why is it impossible for the virus in the epidemic at Oxford in 2054 to have come through the net? Does the explanation seem to follow natural laws as we understand them in 2010?

2. Why can't Dunworthy just go back before the drop time and then retrieve Kivrin as she comes through?

3. Explain how slippage determines how far off one is when traveling back in time. Does the four-hour slippage that was a part of Kivrin's drop account for the twenty year difference between when she wanted to be dropped and when she actually is dropped? Why or why not.

4. Does the technology of the net and time travel seem stable enough that you would travel on it? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Often titles reveal much about one or more aspects of a novel. Discuss the following:

1. What do you think is the purpose of a title? How closely related to a major theme(s) of a book do you think a title should be? Or should it be?

2. How is the phrase "Doomsday Book" relevant to the action of the novel? What sort of emotional/psychological response does the title evoke? Why do you think Willis chose this title (if she does)? If you were perusing the library for a book to read and saw this title, would it pique your interest? Why or why not. Does it seem to be the best title for the book?

3. If you were the writer of The Doomsday Book and your editor says the title must be changed, what would you choose? Why?

Essay Topic 3

Setting as far as place and time play critical role in Doomsday Book. Discuss the following:

1. Compare/contrast several aspects of the 2 times where the action takes place--2054 and 1348. Consider things such as cultural norms/expectations, technology, religion and medicine.

2. How do you think Doomsday Book would change if Kivrin actually went to 1320? You need to research England at the time and see if there are any major differences. Consider if the plague were not an issue. What if she accidentally ended up in a racially different area such as the Orient or Africa?

3. What issues that are present in the 2054 time of Doomsday Book present today? What are no longer issues by 2054? Consider such things cultural norms/expectations, technology, religion, and medicine.

(see the answer keys)

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