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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 does Jimmy grab off of the back of the crab-like creature?

2. According to Chapter 37, Mercury sends a missile to Rama, which stops fifty kilometers from Rama to do what?

3. What location on Rama is known not to be infested with spider-like creatures?

4. Why had Commander Norton once fallen in love with a Hermian woman, but did not marry her?

5. What is constructed from six empty storage drums held together by a light metal framework?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain the differences Jimmy Pak observed in the southern and northern ends of Rama.

2. Commander Norton speculates about the origin of the lights on Rama. What are some of his theories?

3. Describe the flower that Jimmy Pak finds on Rama.

4. Why is "Dragonfly" a good name for Jimmy Pak's sky-bike?

5. Why did the Commander delay explaining the method they were going to use to Jimmy?

6. Why is Jimmy Pak able to remain calm as he struggles to land the sky-bike?

7. How is it possible that the spider-like creature sneaks up on Norton, Rodrigo, Calvert, and Ernst while they are watching the evening news telecast?

8. What are some of the ways that are considered to rescue Jimmy Pak?

9. What are some of the ways the Commander considered to travel to the South Pole?

10. Why is it necessary for the sailors on the Resolution to keep their heads above water if the boat capsizes?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Science fiction books, by creating a fictitious world, end up predicting future technological discoveries. What technologies ring true in the book, and what technologies seem either implausible or antiquated by our standards today? Pick three areas of technology and explain your position.

Essay Topic 2

People in power are sometimes accused of seeing the small picture at the expense of the big picture and may make decisions that are good for a small number of people or for the short run and are bad for humans in general or for the long term. Who follows this pattern in the book, or the opposite pattern? Give one example of each type of behavior and compare and contrast their actions. Be sure to follow their pattern of behavior from the beginning to the end of the book and show if they learned anything, or are likely to have learned anything, based on the events in the story.

Essay Topic 3

Captain James Cook, an ancient sea captain from Earth, appears at the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Commander Norton relies on his knowledge of Captain Cook to help him make decisions. Pick two decisions that Norton made with the help of his knowledge of Captain Cook, and explain the basis for these decisions and how they relate to what Norton knows about Captain Cook.

(see the answer keys)

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