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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 does one poster on the net think think the Blight needs?

2. With whom do Peregrin and Scriber receive an audience?

3. What melts the coldsleep boxes?

4. About what does Woodcarver worry?

5. Which fragment escapes the butchering of Scriber?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes a rift between Pham and Ravna?

2. What does Steel do in the dungeons?

3. What is happening on the OOB as it enters the Middle of the Beyond?

4. How does Pham stop the Blight and what happens to him?

5. What do Peregrine Wickwrackrum and Scriber Jaqueramaphan observe and how do they describe the Olsndot's ship?

6. How do packs communicate and how is this related to the fact they believe Johanna is dead when she faints?

7. Who does Pham contact and what happens?

8. What does Ravna do to keep Pham from slipping back into godshatter and what is Pham's response?

9. Why is the trip to rescue Jefri going to take longer and what does Ravna do to help Jefri because of the longer time?

10. What lessens the size of Woodcarver's army even before any confrontation with Lord Steel's forces.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Vernor Vinge is a not only a novelist, but a professor of mathematics. The book A Fire upon the Deep won the Hugo award for Science Fiction. It is useful to know about him not just because he authored A Fire upon the Deep, but also because his ideas of the future might need to be considered.

1. Research Vinge and write a brief biography of him.

2. What do you find to be most impressive about the man?

3. What do you think is Vinge's greatest accomplishment?

4. Vinge writes and essay titled, "The Coming Technological Singularity." Much of those ideas can be found in A Fire upon the Deep. Research and relate his essay to his book.

Essay Topic 2

In chapter 15, Steel tours his dungeons, where the "raw material" is driven crazy to serve as the basis "blank packs." The dungeon is described in horrifying detail and contrasted with Woodcarver's processes aimed at the same goal, but bounded by "traditional ethics." Discuss the following:

1. Though Steel's methods are more horrific than Woodcarver's, their end goal is the same. Is this goal ethical? Why or why not?

2. Do you think what Steel and Woodcarver are attempting to do is moving the evolution of the Tines forward? Why or why not?

3. What do you think Steel and Woodcarver want in creating blank packs? Are there other ways of obtaining the same end without dubious means?

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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