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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. In which of the following school subjects does Tweed excel?

2. Who is Lucia Cooper?

3. Which of the following adjectives best describes William Tweed's business style?

4. How does Washington Roebling feel about having to speak for his father at meetings?

5. How many men are killed during the river's "Great Blowout?"

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Tweed depicted in the newspapers of New York?

2. Which elements of the bridge's architecture would classify it as the largest suspension bridge in the world?

3. How is the fire in the caisson started, and how do the newspapers report the fire?

4. What happened during the "Great Blowout" in the river?

5. How did James Eads find himself in the bridge building business?

6. What is "the bends" and what is its effect on Roebling's workers?

7. Which problems stopped the initial production of "The Rainbow Bridge" in the early-1800s?

8. What is so impressive to tourists about Roeblings bridge over Niagara Falls?

9. How are the streets of Manhattan described in the 1850s?

10. What two conclusions do "The Genuine Language of America" make about the Bridge Party?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Roebling's relationship with Johanne was one that went through many phases during their time together. Create a time line of events that were important in Roebling's relationship with his wife. Then, explain how Johanne's death altered the way Roebling viewed the world, and his career.

Essay Topic 2

In the epilogue of this novel, David McCullough compares the Brooklyn Bridge to two other major bridges completed at the time - The George Washington Bridge, and the San Francisco Bridge. How does the Brooklyn Bridge compare / contrast to these two famous bridges? Why do you think McCullough chose these two bridges to use as comparitive tools when exploring the impact the Brooklyn Bridge had on the engineering world?

Essay Topic 3

In the epilogue of this novel, David McCullough takes great liberties in comparing the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge to many other feats of technology in the 20th century. Choose two of the feats McCullough examines in the text and explain why you do / do not think his comparison is a fair one, and why.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 899 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample