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 many other prisoners escape with Churchill in Chapter 47?

2. What sport does Kris Kristofferson play in school?

3. What does Bram Stoker die of?

4. How much is Harlan's social security check in Chapter 54?

5. What reveals the source of the damage done to the Maine in Chapter 67?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lucy's engagement allow Harvey to discuss a president's assassination in Chapter 58?

2. How is Masonite discovered in "Stranger on the Road"?

3. What are the circumstances that cause a pilot to design an important medical advancement in "An Affair of the Heart"?

4. What recurring lesson does Harvey reinforce in "Little Book Lost"?

5. How is it possible that William is a governor, a terrorist, and a prisoner within four years in Chapter 65?

6. What is unusual about the friendship that Harvey describes in "Inseparable"?

7. How does Doc Holliday earn his reputation in Chapter 59?

8. How does Harvey use two different time periods as the element of surprise in "The Code of Love"?

9. In what way does reality mirror fiction in Chapter 49?

10. Why are jealousy and a physical abnormality part of Chapter 70?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the reasons that accidents can lead to significant discoveries as they are described in the book. Include a detailed analysis of the events that unintentionally brought about the origins of things (ex. paper, Masonite, the game of football, the potato chip, etc.) as well as the value of accidental inventions in general.

Essay Topic 2

Lincoln's assassination is a popular topic for Harvey in the book.

1) Explain how Edwin's letter in Chapter 22 is connected to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by coincidence.

2) Analyze the story about Mary, Lincoln's wife, in Chapter 28, and the issue that is discussed in the story.

3) Describe Lucy's engagement in Chapter 58 and how it might have influenced the tragic assassination of President Lincoln.

Essay Topic 3

Paul Harvey has a very distinct style in writing the stories for the book.

1) Describe Harvey's writing style and the way it reflects his radio broadcasts.

2) Explain how Harvey builds the anticipation in the stories and maintains the reader's interest.

3) Analyze how Harvey uses the names of the subjects throughout the book in order to enhance the effect of the stories and his writing style.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 901 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample