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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. How many people are expected for the Superstition Exhibition's opening night party?

2. What is unusual about Moriarty's watch?

3. In Chapter 51, D'Agosta finds what impediment between him and escape from the creature?

4. What does Smithback see in the room he and D'Agosta's group enters in Chapter 60?

5. In Chapter 62, to what rank is it revealed that D'Agosta was promoted to?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Why does Coffey instruct Bailey to take command of D'Agosta's group in Chapter 49?

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

5. Who is Montague and what happened to him?

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

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

8. What is the security set up in the museum? Why is it designed that way?

9. What does Margo find in the crates? What does she take?

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 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 two of the following. Include in your discussion how the two elements work together to build a strong plot:

1) Setting

2) Character

3) Point of view

4) Language

5) Structure

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?

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