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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 the sunken Japanese ship in Chapter 13 leaking?

2. What is the new name of the Baekje?

3. What does the Sea Rover search for in Chapter 22?

4. Who is Garner Ward?

5. Where is Kang's private island lair?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the mission of the Japanese Red Army?

2. What is so audacious about the way Kang plans to kill Dirk and Summer in Chapter 34?

3. What do Dirk Pitt, Sr., and Al Giordino do in response to Raul Biazon's request in Chapter 12?

4. How does Kang plan to use the Odyssey in Chapter 37?

5. Describe Admiral Sandecker and his role in Chapter 31.

6. Why does Tanaka lie to Commander Ogawa in the introduction when Ogawa asks if his crew is in danger in the book's introduction?

7. What will the disease-laden weapon that Kang plans to launch accomplish?

8. Describe what happens as the Sea Rover is being flooded in Chapter 28 and how the crew is rescued.

9. What is the outcome of the meeting between Dirk and bureaucrats from the Department of Homeland Security?

10. How do Dirk and Sarah escape the thugs in the Cadillac in Chapter 18?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Black Wind is full of novel gadgets, watercraft, aircraft, and other technological gizmos. Discuss how effective Cussler is in integrating technology into his novel, how much technology contributes to the overall plot, whether or not he gets bogged down in minutiae, and whether or not the reader feels that he/she needs a degree from M.I.T. to follow what is happening.

Essay Topic 2

The theme of destruction for personal gain runs throughout the novel. Looking at the book as a whole, discuss how substantive this theme is, evaluating whether or not it is compelling enough to support the weight of the whole book. Identify several incidences in the plot that support this theme and evaluate how effective those incidents are in holding the story together.

Essay Topic 3

In an action novel, it might be tempting for the reader to skip over the "boring" parts to get to the "good parts." How well do the Cusslers perform the writer's task of pacing a novel? Discuss the pace of the novel, noting if it is successful in keeping the reader engaged through the "slow" parts, and whether or not the action sequences are well-staged and understandable. Use specific sections or setpieces in the novel to support your contentions. Note, too, any tricks of the writer's trade the Cusslers employ to keep the pages turning.

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