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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. After their dinner cruise, what does Judge Fang agree to do to help Dr. X?

2. How does the banker explain to Bud the penalties for missing payments on a line of credit?

3. What does Harv decide to produce for his sister, Nell, on the matter compiler?

4. In what way is the bridge an example of die-hard habits on the part of architects?

5. What is the initial relationship between Miranda and Carl Hollywood?

Short Essay Questions

1. In "More Tales from the Primer," what is the significance of the story of Belle, Dojo, and Dinosaur?

2. In "Miranda's Reactions to the Evening's Events," what advice does Carl Hollywood give to Miranda?

3. In "Hackworth Presents the Primer to Lord Finkle-McGraw," why is Lord Finkle-McGraw unable to make the book function?

4. Describe the emotional state of Hackworth in "Hackworth's Morning Ruminations".

5. In "The Torture Chamber of Judge Fang," what is unusual about the torture and the prisoner's response to that torture?

6. In "Miranda's Reactions to the Evening's Events," what selfless act does Dinosaur perform and why?

7. Describe Nell's early experiences with her Primer, as depicted in "Harv Brings Nell a Present."

8. In "Mysterious Souvenir from Dr. X," what amazing device does Hackworth receive when he inserts a card into a matter compiler?

9. In "Hackworth's Dilemma," what is Hackworth's dilemma?

10. As explained in "Hackworth in the Hong of Dr. X," why does Dr. X have such an unusual name, and what is his profession?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe several ways in which Nell's Primer gives her the parental love, guidance, and protection that Nell never received from her real mother.

Essay Topic 2

Consider the fabric Harv found by the sea and brought home to examine with Nell. How is the woven fabric a metaphor for the Confucian lifestyle? How is the low-quality plastic fabric created by matter compilers representative of the Thete lifestyle? Discuss the irony of the Victorians' preference for handmade woven fabric over that created by matter compilers.

Essay Topic 3

In "The Diamond Age", Confucianism is portrayed as a philosophy involving decentralization and democracy, while Neo-Victorianism is portrayed as a philosophy involving centralized control and a hierarchy of status. Compare and contrast these two philosophies.

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This section contains 1,036 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample