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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. Jonathan wishes to free the other gulls from ______ years of scrabbling for fish heads.

2. How many birds are in the group mentioned in question #1?

3. What kind of wings does the strange voice tell Johnathan he does not have?

4. What does Jonathan fly through, without killing anyone?

5. Jonathan was no ordinary ______.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the strange voice in Jonathan's head tell him about his flying, at first?

2. What does Jonathan's mother ask him to do when she sees him flying all by himself all the time?

3. As Jonathan begins his pull out during his record-setting speed, what happens?

4. What happens to Jonathan once he begins to tell other gulls they do not have to settle for a drab life?

5. What do Jonathan's parents think about his behavior when the other seagulls are eating?

6. At what height does Jonathan attempt to dive from the morning after his accident and realization?

7. What is the name of the morning's group of seagulls that are looking for food?

8. What does the voice in Jonathan's head have to say about gulls flying in the dark?

9. Why doesn't Jonathan feel guilty about breaking the promise to the voice in his head?

10. What does Jonathan discover is the key to turning when he is flying at great speeds?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The idea of the master's place in a student's life is also questioned in the last part of the book. In the relationship of Fletcher and Jonathan, the way these two Gulls interact impacts them both greatly.

Part 1: What does Fletcher decide to do in order to help spread the word about the lessons he's learned?

Part 2: Why does Jonathan remain at the side of Fletcher? Was this a good idea? Why or why not?

Part 3: Why does Jonathan have to help Fletcher using one of Chiang's techniques? Was this a good idea? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

It seems that in the definition of reincarnation, Gulls do not come back as anything other than Gulls. This seems strange as traditional thoughts on reincarnation say that animals come back as other animals and even humans.

Part 1: Why don't Gulls come back as anything besides Gulls?

Part 2: What does Chiang say will help to break this cycle of coming back as the same species again and again?

Part 3: Why might Gulls be the only species who come back as the same thing? What reasons can you provide?

Essay Topic 3

The sacrificial death and resurrection of Fletcher is something that works to secure the reputation of the small group of students, even though it was meant to harm their appearance to the rest of the Flock.

Part 1: How did the sacrificial death and resurrection of Fletcher take place? Please describe how this occurred.

Part 2: To what else can this death and resurrection be compared? What other story seems to have been used as the inspiration for this situation?

Part 3: Do you think these events had to happen to Fletcher in order to make the group of students reputable? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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