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. What is Admiral Dubro ordered to do while the attack on Japan is underway?

2. Jack Ryan realizes that which of the following is the key to deciding on a response to the Japanese attacks?

3. What instructions is Rear Admiral Jackson given as part of Ryan's military operation?

4. How does the Prime Minister of India renounce an alliance with Japan?

5. What do the bombers from Elmendorf Air Force Base destroy, besides the missile sites?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are the Japanese air defenses destroyed?

2. How do the initial negotiations with the Japanese proceed?

3. What information and resources do the Americans have in trying to locate Koga?

4. How does Ryan hope to achieve surprise in launching the carrier Stennis?

5. How does Durling resolve the political crisis of Kealty's legal problems?

6. What resources do the Defense Department and the Pentagon determine will be available to fight the Japanese?

7. What is Yamata's reaction to the American counter-attack?

8. Explain Ryan's plan for saving the U.S. and European economies.

9. Explain the arrangement suggested by both Nagumo and the Japanese ambassador.

10. What does Ryan believe about Japan's goal ?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ryan and Yamata square off in this novel as the strategic leaders of their respective nations, although they do not immediately recognize who their opponent is. Their distinctive personalities shape the conflicts of the book and these two characters act as foils.

Part 1) Compare the personalities of Ryan and Yamata. Explain how each character's traits sheds light on the other's.

Part 2) Compare the styles of planning and execution used by Ryan and Yamata. Which style proves superior and why?

Part 3) Both Ryan and Yamata do what they think is best for their nations. Assess which character acts in the best interests of their country, and explain the shortcomings of the other character.

Support your comparison by quoting the book and citing examples from the book.

Essay Topic 2

Revenge is perhaps the most important theme in the novel. The principle antagonist is driven by an overwhelming need to exact revenge on the United States. Many other characters either resist or indulge in the temptation to take revenge on those who have wronged them.

1) Discuss Yamata's drive for revenge. How was this desire created and fostered, and how does it drive the story?

2) Explain examples of characters who either engage in revenge or resist the urge to do so. What drives these characters and why do they act as they do?

3) Discuss Sato's act of vengeance. What were his reasons and motivations? Was his act justified?

4) Assess the author's intent with regards to this theme. What is the author trying to say about revenge through the stories of these characters?

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

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,092 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample