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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. Where did Isaac grow up?

2. What is the name of the tropical storm that dumped record amounts of rain on the Texas coast in 1979?

3. A photograph of Isaac shows him to be what?

4. How many miles above sea level is the highest point of Galveston?

5. Who came up with a compelling theory about the cause of the trade winds?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the butterfly effect?

2. Why is the final payment on the piano a significant accomplishment to Louisa Rollfing?

3. What kind of man does the narrator describe Isaac to be?

4. How did Isaac do in the initial part of his training for the weather service?

5. What does Isaac do for the U.S. Weather Bureau?

6. What is Galveston like in 1900?

7. What was Isaac's childhood like?

8. What does Captain J. W. Simmons of the Pensacola experience after his ship leaves Galveston the morning of the hurricane?

9. How does Moore treat the weather forecasting being done in Cuba?

10. How was weather recorded before the creation of the weather service?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the use of descriptive and figurative language used throughout the story and the effect they have on the narrative.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the title of each of the major parts of the book, their subtle meanings, and the way they add to the narrative.

Essay Topic 3

What price is to be paid for man's arrogance gained through technological advances? How is Isaac's Storm a cautionary tale about man's sense of technological power over nature? How likely will this theme continue long into the future of man?

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