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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 intended purpose of the Odyssey?

2. What is an "evil wind?"

3. What do Summer and Dirk make their escape from Kang's lair with?

4. What is the new name of the Baekje?

5. What possibly airborne toxin seems to be responsible for the illness of the scientists in Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the death of the first two meteorologists in Chapter 1.

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

3. Why do Sarah and the other scientists survive the same toxin that killed the two meteorologists in Chapter 1?

4. Describe what happens to Robert Bridges in Chapter 7.

5. How do Dirk and Summer go about exploring the sunken Japanese submarine in Chapter 24, and what do they discover?

6. What do Dirk and Dahlgren discover about the I-403 in Chapter 9?

7. What is significant about the Chinese junk that rescues Dirk and Summer in Chapter 36?

8. Describe the assassin in Chapter 4.

9. What is Kang's true motivation for wanting the American military out of South Korea?

10. What is the combination of toxins used in the chemical/biological weapon described in Chapter 32?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Dialogue can often propel a story forward. Cussler's heroes tend to make broad, inspirational statements and have plenty of quips at the ready. His villains tend to do everything but twirl their mustaches - note the times when the villains speak, they "hiss" or their words are "spat out." Looking through the novel, pick out ten quotes from the protagonists (the two Dirks, Summer, Al, Jack, etc.) and ten quotes from the antagonists (Kang, Tongju, etc.) Try to come up with a mix of quotes that sound pitch-perfect and persuasive, and quotes that are "groaners," better suited as balloons in a cartoon panel. For each quote, evaluate why it does or doesn't work, and discuss whether or not Cussler's use of dialogue is appropriate for the book's context or not.

Essay Topic 2

Virtually all of Black Wind takes place either above, on the surface of, or under the sea. It is obviously an environment Cussler feels comfortable with. Discuss whether or not the sea itself could be considered a character in the book, whether it is benign or threatening, how the characters relate to it, and if the story be told in some fashion on dry land. Consider, too, if the sea could act as a symbol. If so, what might it be symbolic of?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is a literary technique by which an author alerts a reader to some degree for what will happen later in his work. Cussler uses this technique effectively. Discuss how he employs foreshadowing in this novel. In your discussion, evaluate whether his use of foreshadowing is part of the general atmosphere of the work, if he employs a specific scene or object which gives a clue as to what might happen later in the plot, or a combination of both. Cite examples.

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