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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 do Jack and the person he visits on furlough spend the afternoon doing together?

2. Why is the experience of releasing the stuck bomb so frightening for Jack?

3. Why is Jack anxious to get to Europe?

4. Where is the Air Base in Part 2, Chapter 6 located?

5. What does Jack join?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain what happens to Pratt, Jack's crew mate, before they leave on furlough.

2. Explain what Jack is afraid Dotty will find out in Part 1, Chapter 5.

3. Explain Jack's feeling about home in Part 1, Chapters 4-5.

4. Briefly describe the main character, Jack Raab.

5. Explain why Jack wants to join the Army Air Corps.

6. Describe how Jack enlists in the Army Air Corps.

7. Recall from the text what Jack sees happen to a plane that is caught in a downdraft.

8. Recall what Jack and Dotty talk about when he calls her from New Orleans.

9. Describe and briefly analyze how Jack feels about the war in Part 1, Chapters 1-3.

10. Describe what Jack and his crew do on weekend leave.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In The Last Mission, Jack has now seen other soldiers shot and killed. Yet, he seems unwilling to accept that his friends are dead, even though his own eyes have seen it. Analyze Jack's unwillingness to accept death and why he is so unwilling.

Part 1) Why is Jack so unwilling to accept that his crew members are dead?

Part 2) Why would Jack hold onto the belief that they are alive?

Part 3) Is Jack's unwillingness to accept death a way of surviving or is it a result of his immaturity?

Essay Topic 2

Jack has made some great friendships since he joined the Army Air Corps. These friendships help him to cope with his horrible homesickness. Explore the theme of friendship in The Last Mission, and how these friendships help Jack through his time at war. What types of friends does Jack have in the army compared to at home? How do Jack's new friendships affect the decisions that he makes and the way he acts? How important is it to have strong friendships in life, particularly when going through difficult times like war?

Essay Topic 3

As Jack marches across Austria with the two German soldiers and Stan, he sees the towns and the people he bombed. For the first time, Jack is faced with the reality of the destruction these bombs caused. Examine the theme of war and morality in the book, analyzing how Jack's character is affected. What is morality? How does it pertain to the book and war? How does Jack feel when he sees the destruction that the bombs have caused? How has Jack's new ideals about war show how he has matured?

(see the answer keys)

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