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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. Why do the officers tell the crew they will stay on board?

2. In what month does this story take place?

3. Who kills the spy?

4. What happens to most of the Russian fleet on the sixteenth day?

5. At the end of the novel, what happens to most of the characters?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens when the Russians fire missiles at the American Tom Cats?

2. What is revealed about the identity of the Cardinal?

3. What does the incident of the KGB agent almost lighting a cigarette near the oxygen tanks show to the reader?

4. What leads to the arrest of a congressional aide in Washington?

5. What is learned about the Ethan Allen on the tenth day?

6. In relation to the plan to help some of the Russian sailors defect, what positive step occurs related to Ryan occurs on the twelfth day?

7. What is revealed about the inner-workings of Soviet government on the twelfth day?

8. What happens in Moscow with the Politburo after the Red October situation?

9. How do the Americans plan to use Henderson?

10. Describe how the escort went after the Konovalov was destroyed.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an comparison between the meetings held by high ranking military officials of the Americans and those of the Russians. Then make a judgment as to which is more effective and why. Use specific examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay describing about what may have happened to change the ending of the novel had the Konovalov not been destroyed by the Red October.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay describing in detail what events led Ramius to decide to defect. Be sure to include specific details from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 618 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample