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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. Who is the last person to enter into the room where the confrontation is happening at the end of 4-6?

2. In 1-3, what reason does the Mule give Channis for wanting him to find the Second Foundation?

3. Who is the author of "Second Foundation"?

4. Who is the Mule's general?

5. What charge by Pritchard is placed against Channis for being treasonous?

Short Essay Questions

1. Toward the end of 1-3, what does the technician find in the ship and what is Channis' response?

2. How do the Rossem elders react to the arrival of Pritchard and Channis?

3. What are Channis' reasons for telling Pritchard that his mind has been tampered with by the Second Foundation in 4-6? Why would the Second Foundation leave Pritchard's feeling of loyalty?

4. How does the opening of "Second Foundation" help the reader understand events that have occurred earlier in the trilogy?

5. How does Channis describe the planet that is likely to be home to the Second Foundation?

6. In 4-6, why is Pritchard so sure that nothing has tampered with him mind?

7. What does Anthor ask Dr. Darell as they descend downstairs in 7-9? What is Dr. Darell's reaction?

8. Who is the leader of the Galaxy and how did this leader rise to power?

9. What factors contribute to Channis' popularity on Kaglan?

10. Why did the Seldon Plan fail as described by the author?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

With family members, political rulers and even one's own mind being controlled by powerful forces, paranoia plays a powerful role in the novel. Respond to the following with supporting details from "Second Foundation."

1) In what ways does the character of Pritcher exhibit extreme paranoia?

2) What are the reasons that the characters in the book are paranoid? Does the author validate these reasons by the end of the novel?

3) How does the author use a reader's real life concern about mind control to underscore the paranoia in the book?

Essay Topic 2

By the end of the novel many preconceptions of the plot are turned around in revelations presented by the author. Respond to the following with supporting evidence from the book:

1) What is Asimov's purpose in having so many twist endings?

2) How does the twist ending of the downfall of the Mule differ from the ending of the book as a whole?

3) How do the twist endings serve to screen the inevitable triumph of the Second Foundation in the plot of the book?

Essay Topic 3

The author emphasizes individuality through writing about characters' personal choices influencing the events of the book. Respond to the following with supporting references to examples in the novel:

1) How do several characters throughout the story display their own individuality? How does Channis? How does Palver?

2) The character of Pritcher has his mind controlled by the Mule - how does Asimov portray his individuality?

3) What issues in the novel repress individuality? Are these things presented in a positive or negative way?

(see the answer keys)

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