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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 is the Jordan Tabernacle?

2. Who does Jason invite Tyler to meet?

3. How do Diane and Simon live?

4. What is the grand plan for Mars?

5. What is a consequence of the way time works with the Spin?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Tyler feel and what does he do?

2. What is the first "casualty" of the event that comes to be known as "Spin" and what is one consequence of this casualty?

3. How will ecopoiesis work on Mars?

4. What is known about Spin that would probably cause a general panic in the population of Earth were it to become common knowledge? Is it moral of those "in the know" to keep this information from the general population?

5. Why does Tyler decide to write the story of him and his friends?

6. Why did the NK religion end?

7. Why does Tyler quickly stop reading the letters from his father to his mother and what do you think is the implication of it?

8. One might be a piece of foreshadowing in this chapter?

9. What is the Chinese response to Spin and how would you interpret that?

10. What is the definition of ecopoiesis?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The chapter titled "No Single Thing Abides" suggests both a major theme in the book and perhaps in "real" life. Discuss one of the following:

Is anything absolute in Spin? In life? Explain fully with examples.

The events in Spin suggests that all is transitory, a theme that has been expounded by numerous religious groups both in Spin and the real world. Do you think the essence of nature is that all things pass away eventually? Why or why not?

How could the perspective that all is transitory impact your life if it is true? How could it change the way you respond to both tragedy and good luck? Explain fully with examples.

Essay Topic 2

The emotion of fear motivates numerous characters in various ways. Discuss the following:

How does fear inform the actions of the population at large when Spin first occurs? When Spin disappears?

How does fear engender fanaticism?

Choose one character in which fear is the main motivating factor and discuss how this character might behave differently were s/he not driven by fear.

Essay Topic 3

Time is a concept that is easy to define but much more difficult to understand, both in Spin and in "real" life. Discuss the following:

Define time and then explain time.

Many philosophers say that time is a "human construct." What do you think this term means? If it is true, why do you think humans "constructed" time?

What would be the nature of our life if time either as a construct or absolute did not exist?

(see the answer keys)

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