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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. Why is Kate scheduled to go to Norway?

2. What does Dirk give Bates for the newspaper he takes?

3. What does Kate notice first about Thor when she encounters him in the street?

4. What kind of unsolicited advice does Kate's neighbor give her?

5. What does Kate initially think happened at Heathrow?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the neighborhood on Lupton Road 'resent' the police cars that are parked there?

2. Describe the second bedroom in Anstey's house.

3. What does Dirk say of Kate's driving skills and how does he justify this observation?

4. How does the author describe the boy in Anstey's attic room?

5. What does Kate say about her neighbor who plays double bass?

6. What does Dirk think about the missing Miss Pearce and what is his history with her?

7. How does Odin feel about the article he has read in the newspaper about the incident at the airport?

8. What does Odin's room look like at Woodshead?

9. How does Kate counter Mr. Standish's discussion of a Grand Unified Field Theory of Everything?

10. What does Dirk recall about an interview he read about Pugilism and the Third Autistic Cuckoo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain the significance of Dirk's refrigerator. Why are he and his cleaning lady fighting over it? Why is he afraid of it? What happens when he orders a new one?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the conflict between Dirk and The Great Zaganza. What does The Great Zaganza do to torment Dirk? Why does he do this?

Essay Topic 3

Explain how the Coca-Cola machine is a recurrent motif in the story. Where does it appear? What is happening when it appears? What does the Coca-Cola machine turn out to be?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 660 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample