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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 the Joint Chiefs' decision on what to do with the Starbuck?

2. How does Frederick Moran die?

3. Which friend of her father's does Adrian admit to Dirk she has been sleeping with?

4. Who are the two men waiting for Dirk in the torpedo room as he tries to escape the submarine with SN Farris?

5. Who is Summer?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dirk fear lays in store for the Martha Ann? What information is he now armed with that may help? What does he still not know that could be fatal?

2. It is evident that Seaman First Class Farris could never have been any help to Delphi's cause or mission, however, Delphi keeps him alive, in spite of admitting to Dirk that Farris is "a minor miscalculation." What might be some reasons for this?

3. How does LCDR Crowhaven get in touch with Pearl Harbor in spite of Delphi's lock on their radio transmissions? What is the code he uses to communicate with ADM Hunter over the open wires?

4. Why does Dirk flood the Starbuck's torpedo compartment?

5. How do Dirk and LCDR Boland differ over how to wage battle against the men from the sea as they face impending attack on the Martha Ann?

6. How do Summer's divided loyalties express themselves in their final moments in the doomed seamount as the missiles hit and the mountain begins to crumble?

7. In both Chapters 9 and 10, Dirk endeavors to get his way by assuring the Naval men that he "will take full responsibility." Why does this seem to be the easiest way for Dirk to gain their compliance?

8. How does LCDR Crowhaven's attitude change from his frame of mind on the plane, once he is within sight of the submarine and Dirk lets him know that this is where he [Dirk] gets off?

9. What are the two most important words in the English language according to Dirk? How do they serve Dirk in the battle with the men from the sea in his hotel room?

10. How is the scent of the eucalyptus oil explained? How does it support the theory of the seamount?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Quote from CDR Burdette Denver: "Piracy on the high seas went out with the manufacture of cutlasses." Is this actually a true statement? Is piracy a possible or probable explanation for the Pacific Vortex? Provide evidence both from the book and from independent research to support your claims.

Essay Topic 2

ADM Hunter refers to the sinking of the submarine Tang during World War II. This is a real event. What happened? What is the relevance to the fate of the crew of the Tang to the fate of the crew of the Starbuck in Hunter's mind?

Essay Topic 3

ADM Hunter says, "I'll not confuse the issue with a personal problem," in response to Dirk's question as to whether he has informed the men plotting to blow up the seamount that his daughter is being held hostage there. How does this statement capture the essence of ADM Hunter's character throughout the book?

(see the answer keys)

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