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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 happens to the U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission?

2. What character is stricken by smallpox in Chapter 16?

3. Who is the U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission?

4. Who is Keith Catana?

5. What is the payload on board the I-403's final voyage?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. Describe how Dirk and Summer escape from the I-411 in Chapter 25.

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

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

9. What do Dirk and Summer discover has happened as they return from their exploration of the I-411 in Chapter 27?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Two women play notable roles in Black Wind - Dirk Jr.'s sister, Summer, and his girlfriend, Sarah. Discuss the place women hold in Black Wind. Evaluate the Cusslers' ability to write convincing female characters, if they are stereotypical or something unique, and what part they contribute to the novel. Compare and contrast these two women, noting if they are more active or passive parts of the story.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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