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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. Where did the lightning stones come from?

2. Why is Nora congratulated by the other members?

3. Who does Sloane reveal she would choose for herself?

4. In what condition does Skip arrive for work?

5. What concessions does Nora ask for?

Short Essay Questions

1. What incidents cause tensions to flare between Nora and Sloane?

2. Why does John leave Nora and Bill so suddenly?

3. When the ceremony is conducted at the ancient grave site, what becomes clear?

4. Why was the ridge Nora was seeking called the Devil's Backbone?

5. Why did Nora Kelly's mother have such a low opinion of her husband, Padraic?

6. Who does Nora meet in Chapter 12?

7. What circumstances surrounding the GPS are a problem and why?

8. What distracts Goddard during his meeting with Nora?

9. What did the pictographs on the back walls depict?

10. How does Skip suggest Nora find the road their father claims in his letter to have followed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There are several factors that play into Nora's determination to take the horses over Devil's Backbone. This is a costly decision in several different ways, both physical and emotional. What are they? There is some dissent among team members as well. How does that factor into the decision, if at all? What could have been done at this point that may have avoided the tragic loss they suffer? Roscoe is one of her major opponents at this juncture. How does the tragedy that occurs play a part in their behavior further into the story?

Essay Topic 2

When the creatures who attacked Nora at the farmhouse leave, they go to her apartment instead. What is it that they are looking for? It is obviously not the letter they asked her for, and the letter has no relationship to the items they did take. What could their motives be? What impression does the reader get about the motives of these creatures now?

Essay Topic 3

Aragon comes to the conclusion that it is likely that they Aztecs or their Toltec predecessors invaded the Anasazi civilization at Quivira sometime around A.D. 950. When that happened, everything changed. How did the Toltecs present themselves to the Anasazi peoples? What was the result of their influence on the Anasazi? How is Aragon able to establish these facts? What is the science that he uses to back up his suppositions?

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This section contains 928 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample