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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 military medal does Mark find in his grandfather's box?

2. What does Stern tell Mark he is a fool to believe in?

3. How is Stern's suggestion of bombing met by the Allied leaders?

4. Who does Mark receive a mysterious phone call from in Chapter 14?

5. What does Sergeant McShane advise the men to always wear in Chapter 16?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are Smith's instructions to Stern in Chapter 24?

2. What does Smith learn about Stern in Chapter 6?

3. In Chapter 9, what does Mark think about while sitting in his lab in Oxford?

4. Why does Rabbi Liebovitz approach Mark McConnell III and what does he tell him?

5. What happens when McConnell and Stern arrive at Achnacarry Castle in Chapter 16?

6. How does Mark earn Stern's admiration in Chapter 21?

7. Who is Sir Donald Cameron and how does Mark feel about him?

8. Describe what the Shoemaker witnesses in Chapter 12.

9. Why does Mark think details of the mission are being kept from him?

10. In Chapter 17, what does Stern learn about the mission from Smith?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Investigate "Black Cross" as historical fiction. How does it adhere to and differ from the typical historical fiction novel? What changes could be made to mark it more clearly as historical fiction? What changes could be made to prevent critics from classifying the novel as historical fiction?

Essay Topic 2

Considering what Mark's father went through, what do you think his reaction would be to Mark's choices? What would their father think of Mark's brother?

Essay Topic 3

Choose one of the main themes in this novel (manipulation, contradictions in crime, anti-Semitism, etc.) and detail its recurrences throughout the novel. What does it add to the novel? How does it affect the difference characters?

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