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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 does Fred say on his way to jail?

2. Where is Loretta?

3. Where are archaeologists Alexander Willis and MacDonald sitting?

4. What forms over Mexico?

5. Who says they will keep the children who are with Tim?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do Tim and Eileen use a clever ruse to make their way through the hysterical crowds?

2. What happens when Tim and Eileen try to buy a car and what is the implication?

3. Define the literary term "comic relief" and give an example of it from this section.

4. What does it say about Tim and Eileen that they agree to take four of the children and about Larry who refuses to harm Tim and Eileen?

5. What is Harry doing when the comet strikes and what is his response?

6. What policy does Jellison and his cohorts decide upon and do you agree with them?

7. Do you think Harry is a little crazy for continuing his pursuit to deliver the mail?

8. Why is the rain that is falling salty?

9. How do the astronauts decide to land in California?

10. What is Harvey's reaction to what he finds and do you understand his reaction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When Harvey comes home just after the comet begins striking the earth, he finds his wife and dog murdered and his house ransacked with the supplies he had carefully laid up for disaster stolen. He lies down and starts to go to sleep. Discuss the following:

Why do you think Harvey just lies down and goes to sleep?

What do you think would have happened had Joanne and Mark not arrived?

Why do you think some people react to survive in a crisis and others just give up and resign themselves to death?

In Hot Fudge Tuesdae: Three, Dan Forrester goes to great lengths and uses critical time to hide books, including one on how to make insulin, which ultimately does Dan no good since he dies before he can get to the books. Why do you think Dan takes time to hide the books and why do you think he does not take the one critical book on insulin production with him? Do you think what he did was wise or foolish? Discuss fully.

Essay Topic 2

There are a large number of people sharing living quarters, and many are unrelated adults such as the house where Harvey, Tim, Eileen, Mark, Joanna and the four Wagoners live on the Jellison compound. Discuss the following:

How difficult do you think it would be to live with a group of people you barely know? Discuss.

What are some things a group of such people as mentioned above can do to help keep things going smoothly?

In your opinion, what would be the most difficult aspect of such a living arrangement?

Essay Topic 3

It seems that the people who will survive this comet strike are those who do not depend on military, police and rescue crews to save them; the hard truth is that those crews are going to be of little actual use. Discuss the following:

Analyze those who are surviving in the best way possible in the novel and relate how they are able to do so. How much do they depend upon "official" agencies for survival?

How often in real life do people depend upon their government at any level to "save" them? Is this a healthy attitude? Why or why not.

Do you think those in many countries, including the United States, have become too dependent on others to "save" them rather than their own self reliance?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,538 words (approx. 6 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample