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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 Dorothea at the beginning of "Omphalos," what helps scientists determine dates that are not possible to know otherwise?

2. According to the narrator of "The Great Silence," what word means both hope and breathing?

3. According to the narrator of "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling," memory software will bring about the end of what?

4. What type of parrot narrates the story, "The Great Silence"?

5. What is the name of the chief in Jijingi’s village?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the effect of Lawson's discovery on Dr. McCullough in "Omphalos"? Why?

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

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

4. What great irony does the narrator of "The Great Silence" discuss on page 231?

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

6. At the end of "Omphalos," what does Dorothea vow to continue to do?

7. Who stole the relics, as Dorothea discovers on page 252 of "Omphalos"? How does this person justify the theft?

8. What happens after the Automatic Nanny hits the market in 1901? Why does it ultimately fail?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many characters in this collection highlight the idea the past is never truly past. Choose three characters (from three different stories) and explain how each illustrates this idea.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Regret is a major theme of the collection. Choose three characters (from three different stories) who illustrate this theme. Explain why each character experiences regret, how this regret is (or is not) resolved, and evaluate what the author is trying to say about this subject.

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