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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. Early in Chapter 4, Rod is no longer interested in the survival exam, but instead interested in what?

2. What is the invention of Dr. Jesse Evelyn Ramsbotham?

3. What is the name of Jack's personal knife?

4. Why does one of the new arrivals burst into tears when arriving at the shelter at the end of Chapter 7?

5. Where is Rod's family home?

Short Essay Questions

1. What unusual phenomenon do Jack and Rod see in the sky at the end of Chapter 5, in addition to the pentagonal constellation?

2. How does Jack finally convince Rod that they are not on Terra?

3. What shocking secret does Jimmy reveal to Rod, regarding Jack?

4. At the end of Chapter 7, who joins Rod, Jack, and Jimmy in their cave settlement?

5. Why has Rod's sister, Helen, returned home to be with the family in Chapter 2?

6. Why does Deacon Matson fail several students before they even start their final exam?

7. What grisly sight does Rod encounter, shortly after arriving alone on an unknown planet?

8. Who does Rod finally agree to partner with, before traveling through the gate to an unknown planet?

9. Rod's refusal to let go of misguided theories reveals what about his character?

10. What advice does Deacon Matson give Rod, regarding the final exam?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the family dynamics of the Walker family, as depicted early in the novel. Why do Rod's parents conceal from him the fact that Rod's father is terminally ill and the fact that both of Rod's parents plan to be frozen for twenty years in the hope that a cure will be found? How do the family dynamics change by the final chapter, as a result of Rod's new life experiences and the passage of time?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the main character's changing perception of "stobor" throughout the novel. What, ultimately, is a "stobor?" Why should everyone watch out for "stobor?"

Essay Topic 3

What clues does the author provide as the novel progresses that dopey joes may not be mere harmless, slow, clumsy creatures? What ultimate impact do the dopey joes have on the settlement created by the stranded students? What lesson does Heinlein wish to impart, by showcasing the dramatic changes exhibited by the dopey joes?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 753 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample