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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. Who does the Major-General say he is responsible to in an argument with Dr. Calvin in “Little Lost Robot”?

2. Ashe reveals to Calvin that he is preparing to do what in “Liar!”?

3. Where does the Co-ordinator say that the Mercury mines have experienced a production deficiency since last spring in “The Evitable Conflict”?

4. What is the name of the elderly head of U.S. Robots in the novel?

5. What is the atomic drive to power interstellar travel referred to as in “Little Lost Robot”?

Short Essay Questions

1. What proposition has been posed to U.S. Robots in the beginning of “Escape!”?

2. Who issues the orders for the process of investigation in “Liar!”?

3. What do Calvin and Bogert discover to be the reason behind the missing robot in “Little Lost Robot”?

4. What conclusion does The Brain reach upon analyzing all of the data in “Escape!”? Why does this concern Dr. Calvin?

5. What types of books does Dr. Calvin bring to Herbie in “Liar!” Which does he prefer?

6. What information does Francis Quinn present to Dr. Lanning in the beginning of “Evidence”?

7. How does Dr. Calvin react to the information about the modified First Law in the robots in “Little Lost Robot”?

8. What does Stephen Byerley communicate to Dr. Calvin in the beginning of “The Evitable Conflict”?

9. What is significant about the conclusions of Byerley’s identity in “Evidence”?

10. Whom does Stephen Byerley care for secretly in “Evidence”? How does this character respond to the information about the interview?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the plot structure of “Runaround.” How does this story compare with “Robbie” in relation to its subject, themes, and characters? How do the Three Laws of Robotics apply in each story? What similarities do the robots share?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Analyze the character of Herbie in “Liar!” What is symbolized by the robot Herbie? Why are romance novels significant to the robot? What relationship does Dr. Calvin have with Herbie?

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