View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In what capacity does McCoy want Zimmerman to work with him?

2. How does Ernie feel about Pick's parties?

3. Who does McCoy take Ernie to see in Chapter VII?

4. On what type of plane is he returning to the states?

5. Who does Pick meet first when he shows up for flight school?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Mrs. Pickering's response to Ernie's phone call?

2. What does McCoy do when Ernie tells him her plans when they meet at the train station?

3. What happens that makes Martha finally admit her feelings for Pick?

4. In Chapter XI, what does a navy doctor find out about Banning and the other blind men and what does he do?

5. Who does Ernie meet at the grocery store in Chapter XI and what does she do?

6. What are two requests McCoy has for Zimmer in Chapter II?

7. What did Ernie tell her father about her feelings towards McCoy?

8. Why does Ernie call Pick's mother in San Diego?

9. What does McCoy do after he speaks with Carlson?

10. What does Pick and Stecker do after Carstairs tells them McCoy was wounded and he has given up on Martha?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Most protagonists are a mixture of admirable traits and character flaws, and Kenneth McCoy is no exception. His determination and survival powers might contrast to his feelings of inferiority about his family background. Discuss the following:

1. Trace and analyze situations when McCoy demonstrates his determination. Give specific examples to illustrate your analysis.

2. Trace and analyze McCoy's character flaws offering specific examples of these flaws in your discussion.

3. Discuss how you think McCoy's admirable traits helped him obtain a high rank in the military despite his background as a child. Have his flaws impacted his career at all? Do any of those under his command seem to notice these flaws? Who? How does the reader know this?

Essay Topic 2

Major Banning has gotten his eyesight back and a clean bill of health from the doctors, all that's missing for him is his wife; but he does find some comfort with the librarian and the New York City Library.

1. In most circles, Banning's involvement with the librarian would be called adultery. Do you think the life and death situation of war makes adultery more likely? Why or why not? Use examples from your own knowledge and or the book to illustrate your answer.

2. Banning is an officer and a "gentleman" who has just received another promotion to major. Discuss how the act of adultery fits with the idea of an officer and a "gentleman?"

3. Banning is an intelligence officer and as such would most likely have a top secret security clearance. In the modern army personnel who commit adultery will often lose their clearance. Why do you think this is so? Do you think someone's morals should affect whether they have a security clearance? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Lieutenant McCoy is what they call a mustang, an enlisted man who came up to be an officer. The other officers do not like this. They want the officer to be college graduates. That is one of the problems they have with Colonel Carlson and probably one of the reasons McCoy likes him. Carlson does not want any distinguishing of rank between his Raiders. He does not think that it is good for them to see the officers sleeping in cots while they sleep on the ground or eating better.

1. How do you think Colonel Carlson's ideas about rank might affect discipline? Use examples from Call to Arms to support your answer.

2. Other officers resenting those who did not go to college is not uncommon in other institutions. There are many situations in which a person is qualified to do a job without formal education and those with formal education might resent that person. Discuss what you believe are the interpersonal and personality dynamics of this type of situation. Use examples to support your answer.

3. Throughout history, as long as there has been rank in the military or classes in the social sphere treatment of people have been unequal. Officers have always had better quarters and food. Kings sleep in better homes than carpenters. Do you think inequality of people is good or bad? Could it motivate those in the lower hierarchies to work harder or just make them resentful? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of unequal status among humans.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,180 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample