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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 country does the novel take place in when it opens?

2. How does Pocha describe the women of Loreto?

3. Who does Leonor witness being sacrificed?

4. How many men are serviced by the Special Service each week, according to Pantoja in Chapter 5?

5. In what month is the Special Services' pilot mission?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the issue that Pantoja is being sent to the small city of Iquitos to handle?

2. Why does Pochita think Pantoja is up to no good after their first night in Iquitos?

3. Why does Pantoja sample strange drinks and concoctions?

4. What do Pocha and Alicia spend their time doing?

5. What is Pantoja's job in Iquitos?

6. Why does it take Pantoja and his crew a week to turn the Itaya depot into a suitable work space?

7. What is Dispatch Number One?

8. What does Pocha tell Chichi about Leonor's following of Brother Fransisco?

9. Why is Pantoja happy at the beginning of Chapter 5?

10. Why is Captain Pantoja being relocated in Chapter 1?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the circular narrative of the ending. Why do you think Pantoja's life goes back to normal in the end? What do you think he has learned from this whole experience? Were you surprised by the ending? What do you think the author is trying to say with this ending?

Essay Topic 2

Explore the significance of the religious sect, the Brothers of the Ark. What does the sect seem to represent? What narrative function does the sect serve? How is the sect described throughout the novel? What seems to be the overall tone around the sect? What techniques does the author use to portray the sect? What seems to be the significance of the sacrifices and other violent acts?

Essay Topic 3

What is the significance of the army's inability to keep the Secret Service a secret? When does it become clear that the mission is no longer being kept a tight secret? What seems to be the reason the secret gets out? Why do you think the army keeps adding more and more people to the circle of people who know about the mission? Why do you think they are not being more careful?

(see the answer keys)

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