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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 particularly wants to be friends with Johanna?
2. What is built faster than anything on Straum?
3. What is Steel's greatest success?
4. What happens when the Old One enjoys full bandwidth?
5. Who is Olsndot's wife?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe Johanna's deepening connection to and understanding of the people in the Woodcarver domain.
2. What do Pham and Ravna think is behind the ambush by the Riders at Saint Rihndell's Repair Harbor?
3. How does Greenstalk create havoc with Pham's trust of the two Riders?
4. What do Peregrine Wickwrackrum and Scriber Jaqueramaphan observe and how do they describe the Olsndot's ship?
5. Describe Pham and Bluestalk's descent to the planet surface and their attack and why they suddenly stop attacking with their beam?
6. What does Ravna learn when she visits Greenstalk and Blueshell in their quarters?
7. Explain what the material in OOB's library says about the origins of Riders.
8. What does Ravna do to keep Pham from slipping back into godshatter and what is Pham's response?
9. What is Jefri doing during Woodcarver's army's attack?
10. How do Peregrine and Scriber describe the humans?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
In A Fire upon the Deep, it is hard to know who is the "good" guy versus the "bad" guy. Discuss one of the following:
1. Name two groups, factions, or individuals who are untrustworthy and analyze their actions and impact upon the plot throughout A Fire Upon the Deep. How far into the book does it take to separate the untrustworthy from those who can be trusted?
2. Name two groups/factions/individuals who are trustworthy and analyze their actions and impact upon the plot throughout A Fire Upon the Deep.
3. Are there some characters who can be trustworthy at times and not trustworthy at other times? Who? Why do they vacillate?
4. Ravna seems to be much more trusting than Pham. Do you think Ravna is too trusting? Is Pham too suspicious? Who does Pham mistrust and why? Give specific examples.
Essay Topic 2
The time this novel takes place at least 5 billion years after our present time. Discuss the following:
1. Do you think technology will have advanced as far or farther than that shown in A Fire Upon the Deep?
2. Vinge sets the novel so far into the future of at least 5 billion years that it seems cultures might be incomprehensible from the present, yet much of the world of that time is still familiar enough to understand. Do you think this fact works for you as a reader? Do you think Vinge might have done better to have set the novel not so far into the future? Why or why not?
3. History seems to be cyclic; major civilizations have arisen and fallen just over the course of human recorded history, much less history before anything is recorded. Given that fact, do you think it is likely that there have been many cycles of history and civilizations in the 5 billion years between now and when A Fire upon the Deep takes place? Do you think many of these civilizations would actually seem far more incomprehensible than the universe which exists at the time of A Fire upon the Deep? Why or why not? What might one of these almost incomprehensible civilizations be like?
Essay Topic 3
In order to understand the action in A Fire upon the Deep, it is helpful to understand the layout of the universe which exists five billion years hence. Discuss the following:
1. Describe the various layers of the universe and how each one functions. Which ones are welcoming to technology? In which ones can most technology not exist? Where does Earth fall in these layers?
2. In the Epilog, Peregrine says he believes they will one day travel in space, especially now with the "two-legs" technology and knowledge. Do you think space travel will be a good thing for this planet to aspire to? Why or why not? Given where this planet is positioned within the beyond, can they develop space travel? At what speed will they be able to travel?
3. Do you think it is possible that space will change as much as it has in A Fire upon the Deep given 5 billion years? Why or why not?
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This section contains 1,614 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) |
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