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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 causes panic in the stairwell as D'Agosta attempts to lead a group of survivors into the basement of the museum in Chapter 51?

2. What does Cuthbert say to the creature in Chapter 56?

3. In Chapter 49, who leaves rather than tell the police what Dr. Frock and Margo said about the killer?

4. Why has D'Agosta posted a guard in the computer room in Chapter 42?

5. According to Whittlesey's journal, why did Maxwell and the others decide to return to New York?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Rickman want Smithback to sign in Chapter 35? Why does he agree to sign?

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

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

4. Why does Dr. Frock attempt to make all the party guests leave the museum in Chapter 43? Is he successful?

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

6. What does the extrapolator program say about the DNA taken from the claw that was found inside the chest of one of the museum killer's victims?

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

8. What contract does Smithback show off four weeks after the creature is killed? With whom does Smithback promise to share any proceeds from the contract?

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

10. What happened to Pendergast's plan to lead D'Agosta and his group to safety? What does this event say about the possibility of rescue for this group?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Who is Margo Green? Why does the author focus on this character at the beginning of the novel? What does Margo do at the museum? What is her dissertation on? How does this dissertation relate to the events that take place in the novel? How does Margo stumble upon the truth about the killer in the museum? Does Margo know the entire truth about the killer when the climax of the novel takes place? What is still left for Margo to learn? What difference could have been made had Margo learned this last bit of information about the killer?

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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