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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. According to the narrator of “Dacey’s Patent Automatic Nanny,” Reginald Dacey is so compelled to finish his creation that he is not even deterred by what event?

2. How does Dorothea in "Omphalos" feel about astronomy?

3. According to of "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling," what is the name of the software that enables people to record lifelogs?

4. According to the narrator of “Dacey’s Patent Automatic Nanny,” what is Reginald Dacey initially inspired to create?

5. What is one solution to the Great Silence, according to the narrator of the story with the same name?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Jijingi learn about the written versus the spoken word, thanks to Reiss in "The Truth of Facts, the Truth of Feeling"?

2. In "The Great Silence," who was Alex, and what did he demonstrate to humans?

3. What is mimi in "The Truth of Facts, the Truth of Feeling"? What is vough?

4. As stated in "Omphalos," how old is the universe? How have scientists learned this information?

5. What is the Fermi Paradox? What are two solutions that attempt to solve it?

6. Who is Vinessa in "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom"? What does Dana learn about her at the end of the story?

7. What are contact calls, as explained in "The Great Silence"? What do they have in common with Arecibo?

8. According to Dana on page 329 of "Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom," why do a person's actions matter?

9. Who is Moseby? What does he promise to teach Jijingi in "The Truth of Facts, the Truth of Feeling"?

10. What does the narrator of "The Great Silence" say is notable about the word "aspiration" on page 234?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Internal conflicts are apparent in nearly every story in the collection. Discuss three different characters (from three different stories) who experience a conflict with themselves. Explain the nature of the conflict, how it is (or is not resolved), and how it impacts the story’s plot.

Essay Topic 2

What do you think the future has in store for Jax after the close of “The Lifecycle of Software Objects”? Predict his future based on the thoughts and actions of others in the story.

Essay Topic 3

“The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” is a frame narrative: it is a story within a story. Explain how this story fits the definition of a frame narrative, and explain why this technique is particularly effective for this story.

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