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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. How did the Duke of York find out about Hooke's experiments with dogs?

2. How many wagons does Leibniz take to the Fair?

3. Why was Eliza afraid of the man in rags?

4. What does Daniel retrieve for Newton during the play?

5. Who starts a fire at Daniel's house?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Jack meet Eliza?

2. What job did Jack have at the prison?

3. What did Newton build on a wall in Cambridge?

4. How did Eliza come to be in the place she met Jack?

5. What happens when Trinity re-opens after the first closure?

6. What did the Duke of York want to talk to Daniel about?

7. What frightens Jack in Backboden?

8. How does Daniel meet Leibniz?

9. Why does Daniel leave his family and go to London?

10. How does this book begin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are a number of different settings in this book. Describe some of these settings. Why might Stephenson have chosen these settings for this plot to take place?

Essay Topic 2

Tess was a minor character in this book who made a huge impact on the plot. How did she accomplish this, and how would the plot have been altered had she not been included in the story line?

Essay Topic 3

Many characters in this book are forced to sacrifice much in order to obtain their goals. Who are some of these characters, and how did their sacrifices affect the other characters around them? Were these sacrifices worth the reward? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 587 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample