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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 an electromagnetic tomographic sounder?

2. What is Christie's, the setting of Chapter 3?

3. What impending situation is mentioned in both Chapters 39 and 40?

4. In Chapter 28, how does Vallenar force the man he is interviewing to tell him the truth?

5. What item of modern technology does Sam McFarlane attempt to get San Bushmen to use in order to help him search for meteorites?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unusual findings do McFarlane and Glinn make when they remove Masangkay's body for study on the ship in Chapter 27?

2. Why does McFarlane tell Britton in chapter 14 that he decided to study meteorites? What question does Britton ask McFarlane about this expedition?

3. Why is a guard posted at the camp where the meteorite is sitting? What happens on the first night of guard duty?

4. What strikes McFarlane as luxurious when he boards the Rolvaag for the first time? What is Glinn's explanation for this unexpected luxury?

5. Why does Glinn gather his team and suggest they end the expedition in Chapter 35? Do they?

6. Why does Rochefort go into the tunnel with the jacked up meteorite in Chapter 34? What happens?

7. What does Masangkay anticipate will be the rewards for discovering a unique meteorite on the Isla Desolacion? Who does he wish to pay back?

8. Who arrives on the Rolvaag via helicopter in Chapter 20? What is the purpose of this visit?

9. Why does Glinn's team make an effort to make the ship they are preparing for the expedition look older than it really is?

10. What does McFarlane use to create a demonstration of what happens to the ground when a meteorite falls from the sky? Why does McFarlane put on this demonstration? What is the reaction of his audience?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What happens once the crew abandons the Rolvaag? Why were they forced to abandon ship in the first place? Where do they go? How do they expect to get rescued? What happens the following morning? What does Amira give to McFarlane? For what reason? What happens to Amira? What happens to McFarlane? What happens to Lloyd? Is this an appropriate result for Lloyd? What does McFarlane realize the meteorite was? Is this accurate information or is McFarlane mentally unbalanced because of the trauma of the ship sinking?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Britton? What was the nature of the scandal that discredited her as a ships captain? Was Britton guilty of the crime she was accused of? Was Britton unfairly treated for some reason? Explain. Why does Glinn chose Britton as the captain of the Rolvaag? Why does Britton take the job? For what reason is Britton's career important to her at this point in her life? What fear does Britton continuously express while on board the Rolvaag? What drink does Britton ban from the Rolvaag? How does the crew react to this? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

How do the writers of this novel structure their novel? For what reason? What benefit is there in super short chapters? What benefit is there in multiple view points? How are these elements a deterrent to the comprehension of the novel? How do the writers reveal the true nature of the meteorite? Why does it take the characters so long to figure out the nature of the meteorite? How do the writers use this method of revelation to build suspense in the novel?

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