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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. With which of the following does Chapter 10 of "Bad Chickens / 2401" begin?

2. With which of the following does the section "Last Book Tour on Earth / 2203" end?

3. The president of which country announces the beginning of construction on space colonies?

4. Which of the following is the name of an author Olive meets on her book tour?

5. To which of the following titles is Edwin’s father expected to succeed?

Short Essay Questions

1. What reason does Olive’s northern drive give for preferring rats for their narrative?

2. What secret does Mirella confide in the fortune teller?

3. What quote from Olive’s book does she see tattooed on her readers’ arms?

4. How had Mirella known Vincent?

5. Why do Edwin and Reginald eat buttered eggs?

6. What justification is given for the construction of space colonies?

7. What paradox regarding sunsets does Olive realize while on her book tour?

8. What paradox about her book tour does Olive realize while in Salt Lake City?

9. How is Vincent believed to have died?

10. What reason does Mirella give for finding her current lover less interesting than Vincent?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

St. John Mandel lists several authors whose materials she uses. Others are mentioned in the text. Not all of her literary influences are named, however. To what other writers is St. John Mandel indebted? For what? How does the text show as much?

Essay Topic 2

Sources attest to the presence of Sea of Tranquility on best-seller lists. Assuming that sales figures reflect popularity, what accounts for the popularity of the novel? How does it do so?

Essay Topic 3

Which character is the second most important in the text? How does the work support such an assertion?

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