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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 does the commander of U.S. Navy forces in the Indian Ocean believe about the Indian Navy?

2. What event causes the U.S. administration to plan a trip to Moscow to celebrate?

3. How does the NTSB determine the cause of the Cresta accidents?

4. How many people are killed in the accident that leads to an NTSB investigation?

5. With what nations does Yamata seek secret alliances?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the economic collapse in the U.S.?

2. Describe the war games held between the U.S. and Japan.

3. What is Jack Ryan's background, and what is his life like when the novel begins?

4. How does the Cresta accident in Tennessee occur?

5. What unusual rumor about Japan does FBI Director Bill Murray confirm?

6. Why is Ryan considered for the position of National Security Advisor?

7. How effective is the Japanese strike against the U.S. Navy? What are the results of this engagement for the Navy?

8. What is the general state of the world in terms of security when Ryan is made National Security Advisor?

9. How does Yamata act on the information he gains about the Durling administration?

10. What is the international economic impact of the Trade Reform Act?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Just before the Japanese strike on the U.S. fleet and Pacific islands, the U.S. and Russia jointly celebrate the destruction of their last nuclear weapons. Nuclear disarmament is complete between these two superpowers who vied for decades and came close to initiating suicidal nuclear war. This is a goal that many politicians, statesmen, and diplomats dreamed of throughout the cold war. In the novel, it's implications are crucial.

Part 1) Explain how the joint disarmament occurs and why the U.S. and Russia agree to work together on this issue.

Part 2) Describe the reaction in these two countries and throughout the world when the last missiles are destroyed. Is this reaction reasonable and believable?

Part 3) Explain the strategic consequences of the disarmament.

Part 4) Speculate whether the disarmament seen in the novel could really occur between the U.S. and Russia. Explain how these events, or events nearly like them, could occur.

Essay Topic 2

Negotiations between Japan and the U.S. take place for almost the entire duration of the conflict between these nations. The U.S. wishes to avoid war without compromising itself, and Japan for the most part seeks to gain time to further its own military goals.

Part 1) Summarize the negotiations that occur in the novel. Who are the participating nations, and what are their goals? What resolutions result from these negotiations?

Part 2) Discuss some of the overt techniques used in these negotiations, such as compromise, discussion, and threats.

Part 3) Explain some of the covert techniques used in these negotiations, such as spying, intelligence gathering, bribery, and blackmail.

Use examples and quotes from the book to support your conclusions.

Essay Topic 3

Yamata has a grudge against the U.S. that demands action. He forms a far-reaching plan that takes years to come to total fruition. Yamata is a brilliant strategist and will apparently stop at nothing to crush the United States. His plan effectively throws the U.S. into multiple crises at once, from which they only just manage to escape.

Part 1) Explain Yamata's specific intent with his multiple-front plan. How does he hope to bring the U.S. to its knees?

Part 2) Discuss how Yamata sows the seeds of his plans long ahead of time. What other preparations does he make?

Part 3) Describe Yamata's plan in specific detail. How is it executed in practice?

Part 4) Use specific examples to explain how Yamata deals with random emergent events and either succeeds or fails to use them to his advantage.

Part 5) Discuss the success Yamata's plan.

Provide support for your conclusions with quotes from the novel.

(see the answer keys)

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