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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 is the name of the world-renowned astrophysicist hired by the president to verify the meteorite?

2. Who notices Marjorie acting angrily on the phone just before the president's press conference?

3. Who assumes they will die but begins hitting the ice with the blunt end of an ax after falling into the ocean on a glacier?

4. What does GPR stand for that is used by the scientists to see if the glacier has saltwater?

5. Where is Rachel shot when the Delta Force attacks her and the scientists at the Milne Ice Shelf?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do the scientists and Rachel discover on the GPR printout of the meteorite?

2. What two reasons does Norah give Rachel for disagreeing with her explanation for PODS not being sensitive enough to pick up saltwater around the glacier?

3. What does Marjorie Tench do to Rachel when she receives a call from her from the submarine just before the president's press conference?

4. How does Gabrielle get into Senator Sexton's apartment during his meeting with the private space companies?

5. Describe the conversation between the president and Marjorie Tench when she suggests going to a CNN debate with Sexton instead of him?

6. Why does Pickering tell Rachel to wait to tell the president about her findings on the meteorite when she calls him aboard the USS Charlotte?

7. How does Rachel send a message to the NRO while in frozen water?

8. What does Rachel do aboard the USS Charlotte when she realizes the president is about to have his press conference?

9. How is Michael's belief of panspermia described in the book?

10. How is the Delta Force's mission described in Chapter 15?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the character Marjorie Tench in the book. In what way did the author purposefully create Marjorie as an unlikable and domineering character in the book? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Although not the greatest evil present in the book, Senator Sexton offers the reader a look inside megalomania and politics through his character.

Part 1.) How is Senator Sexton's true nature uncovered by the end of the book?

Part 2.) How does Senator Sexton portray megalomania and greed in the book?

Part 3.) What is telling of Senator Sexton's nature based on his refusal to keep Rachel's fax hidden to ensure her safety?

Essay Topic 3

Examine the character Gabrielle in the book. In what way does Gabrielle's character grow throughout the course of the book?

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