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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 piece of jewelry does Whittlesey consider his talisman?

2. What is Pendergast's theory as to how the killer is murdering his victims?

3. Who finds being locked in the break room of the museum in Chapter 4 outrageous?

4. Why will Ippolito not allow the law enforcement officers into the Secure Area of the museum in Chapter 14?

5. What does G.S.E. stand for?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Whittlesey find Crocker? What does the marks on the body say to Whittlesey about Crocker's fate?

2. What is odd about the DNA sample the lab tech examines in Chapter 17?

3. What are the three conditions Rickman gave to Smithback in the writing of his book in Chapter 13?

4. What effect is the murder investigation having on the Museum of Natural History's visitors and staff?

5. What does Pendergast require of Dr. Wright in order to begin a successful investigation into the murders in the museum?

6. What connection between the killer and the Mbwun figurine does Margo make in Chapter 25?

7. What does the medical examiner tell D'Agosta about the missing part of the victim's brain and what it does inside the human body?

8. In what year does Whittlesey's expedition take place? How long is this before the events depicted in the rest of the novel?

9. What does Smithback ask Kawakita to help him with in Chapter 25? Why does Kawakita refuse?

10. What family crisis is taking place in the Green family, forcing Margo to make a decision that could end her dreams of completing her education?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss scientific expeditions. What are they? What is the purpose of an expedition? Who goes on these expeditions? Are they restricted just to scientists? What happens to the artifacts taken during these expeditions? For what purpose are these artifacts taken? Should they be taken? Compare and contrast a real expedition with the Whittlesey expedition discussed in this novel. For example, compare the Whittlesey expedition with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Discuss the details of each, what the explorers hoped to find, and what the end result was. What did each of these expeditions do for civilization?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the creature. Why does the creature kill? What is it seeking from the people it kills? How did the creature fulfill this desire before coming to New York? How did the creature meet its requirements before traveling out of the Amazon? What happened to this source of nourishment? Why did the ship carrying the creature to New York stop in New Orleans? Who investigated this mysterious situation in New Orleans? How does that relate to the events described in this novel? How did the creature keep its existence hidden for more than five years in the Museum of Natural History? What changed and forced the creature to make its presence known?

Essay Topic 3

Margo finds herself trapped between loyalty to her family and her desire to finish her education in this novel. Discuss what event placed Margo in this position. Why is Margo reluctant to make a decision? Why does Margo feel she is needed at home? Why does she want to remain in New York? What impact on Margo's life will there be when she completes her dissertation? How would Margo's life change if she were to chose her family over her education? In the end, what decision does Margo make? Why? What decision would you have made in the same situation? Why?

(see the answer keys)

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