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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 raised Michael?

2. How does Jill get Michael out of the hospital?

3. What do the Martians call dying?

4. How long did the Martians raise the human baby?

5. How long does it take Michael to bring back something he has sent away?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Michael curious about after watching the Fosterites on television and what does Jubal find out?

2. What has Michael curious about Jill and what does she do?

3. What does Gillian decide to do at the hospital one day and how does she do it?

4. Who went to Mars 25 years before the beginning of this book and what happened to them?

5. Why does Ben want to meet Jill secretly?

6. How many levels of his being can Michael control and what does he do in a dormant state?

7. How does Jill meet up with Jubal and what does she do with Michael?

8. What does Duke brag about in relation to Michael and what does Jubal tell him?

9. What happens when Madame Alexandra Vesant tries to cast Michael's chart and what does she say?

10. What does Mrs. Douglas do after her talk with her husband?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Michael's body has not developed the strength to cope with the higher gravity and air pressure on Earth.

1. Imagine you are moved to a planet which is larger than Earth and you could not move well or breath well. How would that feel? How would you cope with the problems?

2. One situation on Earth that could come close to Michael's physical situation when he first comes to Earth is someone who has been paralyzed in an accident. How do you think you would react to such a situation? Would you want to live in a wheelchair? Who would you turn to for help?

3. If you were put into a situation where it was difficult for you to move or breath one of your feelings might be powerlessness. How would you cope with feeling that way? Do you think you would be powerless in that situation? How would you feel if most of the actions we take for granted as whole bodied had to suddenly be done by someone else?

Essay Topic 2

Legally Ben can do nothing but report the news and write op-ed pieces for the paper. His aggressive attempt to see the Man from Mars results in nothing conclusive and only serves to bring attention to himself from an untrustworthy government.

1. What do you think people can do if a government is not honest? Use examples from the book and/or from real life in the 21st century.

2. Why do you think reporters risk their lives to obtain a story? Use an example from life today to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Heinlein introduces a highly important Martian ritual, the sharing of water. This results in the creation of water brothers, people who are tightly coupled beyond the concepts of friendship and marriage.

1. Describe a human ceremony which may be a less tightly bonded version of the water brothers. Compare the two.

2. Do you think that a short ceremony, such as the sharing of water can bond people together? Why or why not?

3. How has the concept of water sharing illustrated the problems with communication between two alien cultures? Use examples from the book or history to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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