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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. Who is Jost Von Oster?

3. Why does Rickman refuse to allow Smithback to write about the Gilborg expedition?

4. What is stenciled on the side of the crates Ven intends to steal?

5. What does Kothoga mean?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Mbwun figure? What happened when it was added to the Superstition Exhibit?

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

3. What does Pendergast show Dr. Frock in Chapter 18? What is Dr. Frock's reaction?

4. What happened to the rest of Whittlesey's team?

5. What is a ballistics analysis and why does Pendergast suggest one be done on the blood at the crime scene in Chapter 14?

6. What began the rumor of the museum beast?

7. What does Margo smell in the Superstition Exhibit hall that frightens her? Where has the reader heard of this scent previously in the novel?

8. Why is D'Agosta called to the Computer Room in Chapter 26? What happens while he is there?

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What are the Kothaga people? How are they related to the Mbwun figurine? What is Mbwun? Relate and discuss the story of the Mbwun. Why is the woman in the Amazon afraid of the Mbwun? How does Margo make a connection between this woman and the packing materials? What are the packing materials? How did they get into the cargo? Why does Margo test the packing materials? What does she find in them? What is it about these materials that drew the creature to the Whittlesey crate for so long? What would have happened if the crate had not been placed in the secure area?

Essay Topic 2

How does Smithback end up in the subbasement with D'Agosta and the mayor of New York? Why does Coffey attempt to remove D'Agosta from his role as leader of this rogue group? Why is he not successful? Where does D'Agosta intend to take his group? What keeps them from teaming up with Pendergast? What is following them? How do they know which way to go? What hampers their progress? For what reason? What room do they find themselves in after toward the end of their adventure? What is hanging in this room? What do they later learn is significant about this room? How are they rescued? What do they learn of that room after everything is over?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss one of the character relationships below in detail, citing examples from the book:

1) Margo and Smithback

2) Smithback and Rickman

3) D'Agosta and Pendergast

4) D'Agosta and Coffey

5) Coffey and Pendergast

6) Dr. Frock and Dr. Cuthbert.

(see the answer keys)

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