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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. When would Watson and Crick be able to understand the configuration of inorganic ions?

2. In what year did the author meet Crick?

3. What is crystallography?

4. About how long did Crick think it would take he and Watson to narrow down the number of possible DNA structures?

5. Who convinced Bragg that Watson and Crick should not be working on the problem of the structure of DNA?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Watson's position on life and work?

2. How did Delbruck feel about Watson's TMV discovery and the comparison Watson made between Crick and Pauling?

3. What did Watson attribute much of their success to?

4. How did Francis feel about Watson's work with bacteria?

5. In what way did Watson technically break the terms of his fellowship?

6. Why did Watson and Crick want a new start?

7. How is the character of Rosy portrayed by the author?

8. What did Rosy seem to believe that research on DNA would require?

9. Why did Watson and Crick think that the DNA structure was more complicated than the structure discovered by Pauling?

10. Why was it illegal for Watson to move to Cambridge?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay explaining why Watson was referred to as a "mad Englishman." Use specific examples from the reading to support your writing.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay describing how the title of the novel provides insight to the savvy reader throughout the chapters. Explain in detail your rationale.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay examining the character of Rosy in an in-depth manner. Relate her description, actions and ideas to the concept of women in a male dominated field during the 1950s. Make an evaluation of these ideas and concepts and present them with support from the text.

(see the answer keys)

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