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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 is Murugan looking at that he shouldn't have been?

2. What is Buddha sitting on?

3. What system is affected by the ololiuqui seeds?

4. Who does Will leave with?

5. What do the two people request of Shanta?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Murugan believe that the people of Pala won't accept the lure of consumer goods?

2. How does AI contribute to a better destiny for the people of Pala?

3. What is the idea behind repetition in a religious nature?

4. How does Murugan's interest in consumer goods benefit Colonel Dipa?

5. In Pala, what is "grace" and how does this version of "grace" differ from ours?

6. What does the mountain climb ordeal teach the youth of Pala and what happens afterwards?

7. What, in Shanta's words, makes Pala a nice place? Repeat in your own words.

8. What is the difference between the Palanese use of Pavlovian conditioning versus the rest of the world?

9. What does Will notice about the differences between Lakshmi and Aunt Mary?

10. What is the advice to every pair of lovers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How do the Palanese justify Artificial Insemination? What is your opinion about the way the people of Pala reproduce selectively? Do you think that it is justifiable in their logic? Does this cater to your religious standpoints or not? How do you feel personally about selective breeding in this sense?

Essay Topic 2

How do the Palanese deal with grief? How does it differ from the way we deal with it if we used Will's example? Which do you think is more healthy, theirs or ours?

Essay Topic 3

Write a 2000-word essay on the contrasts of light and darkness throughout the book, and the significance of this theme to the plot development. Why do you think the author chooses to use this theme?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 865 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample