View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why don't the Curies buy large quantities of pitchblende?

2. What was the monument erected to represent?

3. What does the father of the children in the opening scene of the school teach?

4. What does Pierre study at the School of Physics and Chemistry in Paris?

5. What research is Pierre conducting that he abandons to help Marie?

Short Essay Questions

1. What seems to be intruding on the Polish schools and in what way have things changed?

2. What discovery does Marie make about radium?

3. What does Monsieur Sklodovska represent?

4. Where do Manya and Hela attend school and what kind of school is it?

5. How does Marie treat the German physicists after the war?

6. How do Manya's employers treat Manya and how does Manya feel about the children and her job?

7. What has happened to Marie's health and what caused these effects?

8. Where does Manya go to school and what is different about this school?

9. How does Casimir react to Marie's poor health and what do he and her sister insist on to help her recover?

10. What happens when war breaks out?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A drive to pursue a single passion despite all obstacles seems to define many successful people. Write an essay describing the positive and negative aspects of having this type of drive. Do you believe you have this drive? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The Curies believed that their discoveries belonged to all of humanity. Do you agree with their decisions? Why or why not? Do you think modern scientists are as selfless as Marie? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

How is the theme of poverty described and developed throughout the novel? Do you feel that Marie ever overcomes true poverty? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 638 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample