View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the first publication to name the woman behind the HeLa cells in 1953?

2. How many points compose the code of ethics known as the Nuremberg Code?

3. On what date did Henrietta Lacks first go to Johns Hopkins to have the knot in her womb examined?

4. When were HeLa cells fused with mouse cells to create the first animal-human hybrid cells?

5. What discovery did the researchers make after sending HeLa cells into space in the 1960s?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Roland Pattillo, and why did Rebecca Skloot contact him regarding the Lacks family? How did Pattillo respond to Rebecca's inquiries?

2. How does Mary Kubicek describe the instance when she first realized that Henrietta was "human" in Part Two: Death - Chapter 12?

3. Why were HeLa cells useful in the study of virology and research into diseases? Was the malignant nature of the cells a factor?

4. How did Deborah Lacks respond to Rebecca Skloot when she first called her? What information did Rebecca learn from this call?

5. Who established the first distribution center for HeLa cells? Where was it established?

6. What advancements did Alexis Carrel achieve in medical progress during his career?

7. What did Henrietta's doctors at Johns Hopkins find during her repeated visits in June of 1951?

8. How did Henrietta meet David Lacks? How did their early relationship develop?

9. Where did the name "Helen Lane" arise? How did the Lacks family feel about "Helen Lane"?

10. How does the author describe Courtney Speed in the narrative? What business(es) did Ms. Speed run at the time the author first met her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the case of Ted Slavin. What discovery did Ted Slavin make regarding his cells? Who assisted Ted Slavin in his endeavors? How did Slavin's situation differ from that of Henrietta Lacks?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the narrative and language styles seen in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. How does the narrative shift in the course of the book? How does the dialogue in the narrative differ from the language style of the author? What literary devices are employed the most in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the themes of abuse, family, and loss in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. What symbolism and imagery support these themes? What abuses were suffered by the Lacks family? How did the family members cope with grief and loss?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,038 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample