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. Which adjective best describes the firepower of the Americans?

2. The patrol goes into an area covered mostly by _____.

3. Which of the following gets stuck in a rice paddy?

4. How many days go by before Downs is sent to the next location?

5. Downs is concerned by the presence of which of the following?

Short Essay Questions

1. Downs comes to what realization during this time?

2. Who gives Downs details about his destination? What does the man say?

3. What happens shortly after the mine-sweeping crew is on the job?

4. Describe the area around the base camp and how it is different than Downs expected.

5. What is the biggest problem with this plan?

6. What is Downs' rank? Where does Downs go on his first assignment?

7. What is the issue with convoys traveling by the established road? What were the orders issued to the men?

8. How do the soldiers in the battalion refer to the Vietnamese and the Vietcong?

9. Explain the arrival and presence of Fouel. What is the opinion of the Americans on the Cho-Hui?

10. How does Downs deal with one of the soldiers that has proven to be lazy?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What do you think about Downs' opinion on why he might have been injured? Do you think the injuries had anything to do with the stealing of the Buddha statues? Explain. Do you believe that there is punishment for acts of violence? If so, how would the punishment be decided and meted out? Explain. If given the opportunity to live it over again, do you think Downs would have made the same choices? Explain.

Essay Topic 2

Downs was among a long line of other soldiers wounded in the line of duty. Examine and discuss various types of wounds that are mentioned in the book. How were the majority of the wounds inflicted? What is the standard treatment of a non-serious wound? What is the standard treatment for a potentially fatal wound? Who attends to the soldiers when they are wounded? How common is it for doctors to be present and to take care of the wounds? When doctors are not around, who performs the work?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss in detail the involvement of the soldiers on Montezuma Mountain in Vietnam. Examine the location, its benefits and drawbacks. What was so important about that particular battalion at that particular location? What difference did it make to have the platoon at that location? How might things have changed after Downs' injury and eventual discharge?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 802 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample