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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. During his campaign speech in Chapter 8, what does Grant state is the most important invention of mankind?

2. How old is the other baby in the settlement at the beginning of Chapter 14?

3. Who invents a method for hollowing out bamboo to make pipes?

4. In Chapter 8, why does Rod suggest building a stone wall?

5. During the luau celebrating the return of Rod and Roy, what new utensil does Margery give Rod to use?

Short Essay Questions

1. Early in Chapter 8, how is Jack injured?

2. The first part of Chapter 11 is told from whose point of view?

3. Why do Rod and Roy embark on an expedition downstream from their settlement?

4. What do Grant and Rod build in an attempt to protect their camp from the stampeding animals?

5. How do Rod and Caroline clash the first time they try to hunt together?

6. In Chapter 9 how does Grant use the wedding of Bob and Carmen to his advantage?

7. A strange migration of what creatures threatens the students' settlement?

8. Why do some students in the settlement start to feel disenchanted with Grant's leadership?

9. Under Grant's leadership, how frequently are town meetings held?

10. Why don't students want to relocate to the caves Rod and Roy discovered?

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

Main character Rod exhibits a tendency to jump to false conclusions. List other examples of Rod's faulty logic. How does Rod's reputation for jumping to false conclusions influence the other students, when he tries to warn them about the vulnerability of their settlement?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is a useful literary technique, in which an author hints at future events in subtle ways. Much can be learned about characters, based on their ability to recognize or overlook such clues. Describe and discuss at least two examples of foreshadowing in "Tunnel in the Sky." If applicable, also describe and discuss an instance of potential foreshadowing that remained unrealized.

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