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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. What does Donovan spit on causing conflict in “Reason”?

2. Who tested Dave before he left the factory in “Catch That Rabbit”?

3. What is the model of the robot that Speedy is in “Runaround”?

4. What model of robot is Dave from “Catch That Rabbit”?

5. In what year was the Second Mercury Expedition sent out, according to Susan Calvin?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is taking place in the beginning of “Robbie”? How are the principle characters described?

2. What is discovered about the earlier generation robots in “Runaround”?

3. How is the robot Cutie described in the beginning of “Reason”? What objective does he state in the beginning of the story?

4. What news does Donovan relate to Powell in the beginning of “Runaround”?

5. What theme is introduced in “Runaround”?

6. What is established about the capacity of robots in “Robbie”? What is foreshadowed in the story?

7. How does Mrs. Weston explain Robbie’s absence when he is sent away in “Robbie”?

8. What is foreshadowed by Dr. Calvin’s comments about labor unions and religious groups in the Introduction?

9. What theme is established in the book’s Introduction?

10. What is indicated about the personality of Dr. Susan Calvin in the Introduction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the setting of New York in the year 2057. How has robot development evolved in Asimov’s futuristic world? Given that Asimov wrote the book in 1950, what do you make of his vision of the future? Is it realistic?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the setting of “Reason.” On what planet are Donovan and Powell stationed? What is the purpose of their mission there? What robot accompanies them on their mission?

Essay Topic 3

Analyze and discuss the plot structure of “Reason.” How does the structure of this story relate to that of “Runaround”? Have the characters of Donovan and Powell changed? Is the structure traditional?

(see the answer keys)

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