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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. Reg's resistance to the poltergeist results in what?

2. After Dirk saves the world, Richard asks:

3. Why does Dirk get an unusual phone with big red push-buttons?

4. Richard presses Reg to explain how he got the salt shaker into the old Greek pot, and Reg replies that:

5. What is Reg's main reason for traveling through time?

Short Essay Questions

1. When Michael Wenton-Weakes wakes up in a strange mood, what has he just dreamed about?

2. How does Reg behave when he takes Dirk and Richard with him back in time to a rain forest?

3. Susan keeps getting phone calls where all she hears is a faint wind. What are these calls about?

4. How does Dirk manipulate the police when he gets to Richard's apartment?

5. Explain why Dirk hypnotizes Richard.

6. Why does Dirk want Richard to ask Reg about his conjuring act?

7. How does Reg get the salt shaker into young Sarah's old Greek pot?

8. Why has Michael brought scuba gear with him to Reg's time machine?

9. At the end of the book, how does Richard finally do right by Susan?

10. What does Michael reveal to drunken train travelers when he is possessed by an ancient alien ghost?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Susan Way, Gordon Way, and Richard MacDuff are intricately connected through their various roles. Explain the interconnections between these three characters. Why does Gordon try to use Susan to put pressure on Richard? How does Susan feel about Gordon pressuring her? What are Susan's expectations of Richard? What are Gordon's expectations of Richard? At times, how does Richard find himself caught in the middle between Gordon's and Susan's demands? How do Susan and Richard resolve their issues by the end of the story?

Essay Topic 2

How does the desolate opening scene change when it is revisited near the end of the book as Reg, Dirk, and Richard time travel? What aspects remain the same? What circumstances and situations create a different outcome the second time around?

Essay Topic 3

Is Professor Urban Chronotis, commonly known as Reg, an absent-minded professor, a genius, or a little of both? Support your answer with passages from the book.

(see the answer keys)

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