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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 is the section chief of the FBI's International Terrorism Operations?
2. What animals experienced mysterious deaths in the area of the research vessel?
3. What is the Japanese Red Army?
4. Who picks up Dirk and Summer to take them back to America?
5. How do Sarah and her fellow scientists survive?
Short Essay Questions
1. How does Kang plan to use the Odyssey in Chapter 37?
2. What is Kang's true motivation for wanting the American military out of South Korea?
3. Describe what happens to Robert Bridges in Chapter 7.
4. Describe the death of the first two meteorologists in Chapter 1.
5. Describe Kang's role as he is revealed in Chapter 14.
6. Describe how Dirk and Summer escape from the I-411 in Chapter 25.
7. What is the outcome of the meeting between Dirk and bureaucrats from the Department of Homeland Security?
8. Describe the assassin in Chapter 4.
9. What is the combination of toxins used in the chemical/biological weapon described in Chapter 32?
10. What do Dirk and Summer discover has happened as they return from their exploration of the I-411 in Chapter 27?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Black Wind was a father/son endeavor, written by both Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. Evaluate the effectiveness of this teamwork. Identify any shifts in plot or tone that might be due to a different writer. Speculate as to why Clive Cussler may have included Dirk Cussler in the project. Finally, evaluate why Clive Cussler might have inserted himself into the story, and whether that is a wise choice or not. For additional consideration, can you think of other books or movies where an author or filmmaker might have inserted themselves into a story or film as a "cameo?" Is that a novelty or vanity move, or can it enhance the story?
Essay Topic 2
Black Wind is chock-full of familiar characters. Even if one has never read any of Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels, the reader will recognize many archetypes - the hero(s), the villain, the mentor, the deceiver, etc. Looking at the novel as a whole, select five characters. For each character, (a) compare them to other similar characters in fiction - other heroes, other villains, etc.; (b) evaluate how creative Cussler has been in breathing new life into these familiar types.
Essay Topic 3
Evaluate Cussler as a storyteller. How effective is he at winding out a yarn? Can you evaluate his storytelling ability apart from his writing style, the believability of his characters, and the plausibility of the plot? If he were to ask your counsel, i.e. "How can I improve my storytelling?", what would you tell him? Consider his writing style. How would you define it? What about the elements of pacing? His ability to keep the reader engaged? To move readers to complete "just one more chapter?" Identify specific elements from the book that support your answers.
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This section contains 836 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) |
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