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. What reason does Arcadia give to know that her father was expecting a visitor?

2. How old is Arcadia Darell?

3. What attributes to Channis' success in society?

4. What reason does Arcadia give her father for Anthor's visit?

5. Where does Channis decide to land the ship at the end of 1-3?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Arcadia's reaction when she sees the man at her window?

2. What do Dr. Darell and Anthor do for the week after Anthor's arrival? How does this help with Anthor's disguise?

3. How does the Mule admit defeat? What happens after the Mule's defeat?

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

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

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

7. During the confrontation on Rossem, in what trap does Channis catch the Mule?

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

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

10. How has Arcadia kept herself busy since Anthor's arrival?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The writing technique of foreshadowing event is employed by Asimov throughout the novel. Please respond to the following with supporting examples:

1) How does Asimov foreshadow Channis' betrayal?

2) What clues does the author give about the discord that Dr. Darell and his colleagues experience in their second meeting? How does their first meeting foreshadow this conflict?

3) What is the purpose of foreshadowing in the novel? Does it provide a bigger surprise when events turn out in a different way?

Essay Topic 2

Powerful forces in the fictional society of "Second Foundation" are able to influence and even control the minds of humans. Respond to the following with supporting evidence from the novel:

1) In the novel, what level of difficulty is the ability to control a person's mind? How easily influenced are people by the Mule or the Second Foundation?

2) How does the author portray that certainty a person can have about someone's mind being control? How about the certainty of a person's own mind being controlled?

3) What is the difference between the controlling powers of the Mule versus the powers of the Second Foundation?

Essay Topic 3

Asimov is a leading author in the literary genre of science fiction and his novel "Second Foundation" is an example of his work that fits into this category. Respond to the following with supporting examples from the story:

1) How does the setting of the novel reflect elements of science fiction?

2) How does the technology featured in the novel reflect attributes of science fiction?

3) In what ways does science fiction allow Asimov to write about events featured in "Second Foundation"?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 828 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample