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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. When Isaac finally reached home in Part III: Spectacle, his yard was already how deep in water?

2. The morning after the storm passed, the house where Isaac and his daughters had found shelter in was how far from his own house?

3. Cuban forecasters indicated that they had correctly predicted that the storm would not __________.

4. Despite Isaac's alarm, his office still downplayed the potential severity of the storm, referring to it by what name?

5. It is estimated that wind gusts hit how many miles per hour during the hurricane in Galveston in 1900?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe the arrival of the "Pensacola" in Galveston in Part V: Strange News?

2. Who was at fault for the inaccurate forecasting by the US Weather Bureau?

3. How was the surge of flooding described in Part IV: Cataclysm? How much did the water rise and in what amount of time?

4. How does the author describe Rabbi Cohen's experiences of the storm?

5. How does the author describe the events at Ritter's Cafe?

6. What were Dr. Sam Young's experiences like as the storm began flooding Galveston?

7. How is the setting of Judson Palmer's home described? Who took refuge there?

8. How does the author describe the plight of Captain Simmons as he fought the storm?

9. What did Isaac and Joseph Cline argue about as the storm hit?

10. What happened following the attempts by Galveston to bury the dead at sea?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the predictions of Isaac Cline and Professor Andrew Jackson DeVoe of the 1900 hurricane. What is the significance of these predictions in terms of the book's narrative? Do they serve as symbols? How does intuition relate to Isaac and Joseph Cline?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the history of the US Weather Bureau and Isaac Cline's work within the Bureau. How long had Cline been in Galveston by 1900? Where had Cline studied meteorology? Where were his assignments prior to Galveston? How was Cline perceived by his superiors?

Essay Topic 3

Describe and discuss the major differences between meteorology today and in 1900. How are hurricanes tracked in the present day? What technological advances have improved weather reporting? How would these advancements have helped in reporting the hurricane that destroyed Galveston?

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