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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. About how old is Miguel "Papa" Monzano described as being in Chapter 37?
(a) In his late 50s.
(b) In his early 60s.
(c) In his early 40s.
(d) In his late 70s.

2. What is the first sentence in The Books of Bokonon?
(a) "Nothing."
(b) "Everything exists for the glory of God."
(c) "Do not dwell on the sins of yesterday, but walk into the light of tomorrow."
(d) "All of the true things I am about to tell you are shameless lies."

3. How much is the long-distance phone bill that the poet left behind in John's apartment in Chapter 36?
(a) $1,000.
(b) $500.
(c) $300.
(d) $200.

4. What is the title of Chapter 21?
(a) "Vice-president in Charge of Volcanoes."
(b) "No More Mud."
(c) "The Marines March On."
(d) "End of the World Delight."

5. What does Dr. Breed accuse John of being a member of in Chapter 21?
(a) The yellow press.
(b) The FBI.
(c) The CIA.
(d) The communist party.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the name of the British destroyer that captured the German submarine that had taken Bokonon prisoner?

2. Where does John describe stopping for a 10-minute layover in Chapter 47?

3. What is the name of the book that was given to Dr. Felix Hoenikker from a man in prison about the end of the world?

4. What materials are required to play the "Cat's Cradle" game that is described in the narrative?

5. What does Dr. Breed say that "pure research men" work on in Chapter 21?

Short Essay Questions

1. What statements does the author make about nihilism in Chapter 36?

2. What is meant by Mrs. Minton's remarks on indexing in Chapter 55?

3. Describe the narrative style of Cat's Cradle. Why do you think the author employs this style?

4. How does the narrator describe San Lorenzo's attempt at communism in the narrative?

5. What is significant about the metaphor of cannonballs in the narrative?

6. What is surprising to John when he encounters the Hoenikker burial plot in Chapters 29 and 30?

7. How is the character of Sherman Krebbs used as a means to satire in the novel?

8. What symbolism can be seen in the graves of Emily and Felix Hoenikker?

9. What does John discover about San Lorenzo from the advertising supplement in the newspaper in Chapter 37?

10. What are the Bokononist warnings that the narrator relates to the reader in Chapter 4?

(see the answer keys)

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