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. How fast do the Perfectly Normal beasts travel?

2. Whose holographic image does the Guide first project for Random?

3. How does the barman respond to the size of the tip Ford wants to leave the singer at the Bar & Grill?

4. How many days are there in a year on Lamuella?

5. What do the Grebulons generally do on long spaceflights?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the interview between Tricia and Random go?

2. What comes out of the trees toward Random, as she goes through the woods?

3. How does Ford get the new Guide out of the Guide offices?

4. What does Tricia learn when she calls her television station from the editing booth?

5. What do Ford and Arthur talk about as they ride the Perfectly Normal Beast away?

6. What does the man who accosts Ford and Arthur when they enter the London club say?

7. How is the Earth finally destroyed?

8. What does the owner of the spaceship that Ford tries to buy tell him?

9. How does Arthur use Ford's towel to attract a Perfectly Normal Beast?

10. How does Ford react when he first sees a pikka bird?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the limitations of knowledge in the novel.

1) How does identity and perspective limit knowledge in the novel?

2) How do the limitations of knowledge doom the characters to being unsuccessful in stopping the new Guide from achieving its goal?

3) In what ways are limitations of knowledge good and bad in the novel?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss communication in the novel.

1) What types of failures of communication appear in the novel? How do Ford and Arthur fail to communicate with each other?

2) How do Arthur and Random fail to communicate with each other? Why does Random have such difficulty communicating?

3) What is the relationship between differing perspectives and failed communication in the novel?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss language in the novel and the author's use of language.

1) How does the author play with language? How does the author create humor by manipulating language?

2) How does the author use irony in the novel? What other types of figurative language does the author use?

3) How does the author use naming and terminology in the book? What is the significance of the names of planets, objects, scientific ideas, and characters?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 831 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample