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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. Sister's group passes through what tunnel as they flee Manhattan?

2. Chapter 6 opens in a theater named ______________.

3. What happens to the part of the glass ring that Doyle touches?

4. What does a man do in Sister Creep's dream?

5. The men who rescue sister's group ride what kind of a vehicle?

Short Essay Questions

1. What disagreement does Colonel Macklin have with the builders of Earth House?

2. Describe the ritual that the survivors in Paul's cabin carry out every day.

3. What inner struggle does Macklin go through after he and the others move into the Salt Lake settlement?

4. Describe the game that Alvin and his followers force Josh to play.

5. What is unusual about the fight that Josh engages in in Chapter 2?

6. What special powers does the glass ring exhibit as Sister and her group begin to use it?

7. How does Sister Creep react to seeing the Spanish woman's dead child?

8. How do Roland, Macklin, and Sheila acquire a place to stay in the Salt Lake settlement?

9. How does Swan's group react to seeing the lit K-mart?

10. What happens to the leadership of the American government shortly after the nuclear attacks begin?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the beginning of the novel, the threat of nuclear war looms over the characters. The tensions between the United States and Russia are at an all-time high, and nuclear attacks could start at any minute. The characters live in fear and don't know how to deal with the enormity of the threat.

1) Explain the diplomatic situation at the beginning of the novel that puts the United States and Russia at the brink of nuclear war.

2) Discuss some of the reactions various people have to this threat. Explain the range of reactions, and discuss how rational or reactionary these behaviors are.

3) Discuss how reasonable and believable these reactions are, and speculate as to what some other reactions might be.

Essay Topic 2

After the blasts, the western part of the United States becomes a war zone, with many small armies competing for scarce resources, the Army of Excellence being only one of many. These groups raid and pillage the countryside, causing untold amounts of suffering, death, and pain.

1) Discuss the reasons that the armies form after the blasts, and discuss why they are prominent in the West.

2) Explain how these armies operate, supply themselves, and interact.

3) Describe the typical modes of warfare employed by the armies.

4) Summarize the impact that the armies have on the regions where they operate.

Essay Topic 3

Robin and Swan are close in age and are immediately attracted to each other when they meet. For his part, Robin believes Swan to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He falls in love with her at first sight. Although they know they have feelings for each other, they have difficulty expressing them, since they are adolescents and have had little social grooming.

1) Describe the similarities and differences between Swan and Robin. They are both leaders. How do their leadership styles differ?

2) Discuss why Robin and Swan are drawn to each other and why they have difficulties expressing themselves.

3) Explain how Robin and Swan grow closer and eventually confess their feelings.

(see the answer keys)

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