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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. In Chapter 51, Pendergast tells D'Agosta to aim at what part of the creature's body in hopes of killing it?

2. How does Smithback manage to get into the library archives?

3. In Chapter 58, Margo and Pendergast hear survivors in what room?

4. What starts the panic inside the Superstition Exhibition in Chapter 44?

5. What is the name of the museum curator who began the curating of the Whittlesey crates in 1988?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who directs D'Agosta's party out of the Hall of the Heavens? Which members of the group refuse to go?

2. What do Margo, Smithback, and Moriarty learn about the Whittlesey Expedition by reading the accession database in Chapter 28?

3. What is Wright's major concern as he waits for rescue in his fourth floor office? What does this say about his character?

4. What epiphany does Margo have in Chapter 37 that makes her decide to run the indigenous plants from the Whittlesey crates packing material through the extrapolator program?

5. Where does Margo instruct Pendergast to shoot the creature? For what reason?

6. How do Margo and Pendergast lure the creature to them a second time? What is Margo's role in this?

7. What changes does FBI Agent Coffey make to the murder investigation and the security plan for the Superstition Exhibition's opening night party?

8. What does Smithback learn about the cargo shipped from the Amazon by Whittlesey before his disappearance in Chapter 27? Why is this significant?

9. Why did Pendergast's initial shots against the creature fail to kill it?

10. Who remains stuck inside the Hall of the Heavens with D'Agosta?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the Callisto Effect. What is the Callisto Effect? Who developed it? What evidence is there to support such a theory? Why do other scientists deny the existence of the Callisto Effect? What evidence is there against the theory? How does the creature who was killing people in the Museum of Natural History appear to prove the Callisto Effect? How does it disprove the theory?

Essay Topic 2

Who is Pendergast? Where is he from? Why does he come to New York? Why does he become involved in the investigation into the murders at the museum? Does D'Agosta want Pendergast's help? Discuss the relationship between Pendergast and D'Agosta in detail. Why is Pendergast removed from the investigation? What does Pendergast do with this information? Why would Pendergast begin investigating on his own? What does Pendergast know about he creature that other investigator's refuse to believe? How did Pendergast become involved in this investigation in the first place? What does the fact that Whittlesey's cargo was stopped in New Orleans for a time have to do with Pendergast? How does Pendergast eventually kill the creature?

Essay Topic 3

Who is William Smithback? What is his role in this novel? What does Smithback do for a living? Why is he at the Museum of Natural History? Why does Rickman edit his manuscript so heavily? Is this fair? Why does Smithback become involved in the murder investigation? Does the information Smithback finds help in the investigation? If so, how? Why does Margo dislike Smithback? Who else mistrusts Smithback? What does Smithback finally write in his manuscript? What does he do with the money from the book? What does this say about Smithback's overall character?

(see the answer keys)

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