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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. As Holston is about to exit the airlock for his cleaning, the narrator notes that the airlock area will be scrubbed clean and ready for the next cleaning by what time in Chapter 6?

2. How many cameras are described atop the tower of the silo in Chapter 6?

3. What word from Chapter 5 refers to a mathematical determination of the number of something?

4. The word “gyre” used in Chapter 5 refers to what kind of shape?

5. How many flights of stairs has Holston just bolted up in the beginning of Chapter 5?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Holston’s entering the holding cell a dangerous action in Chapter 5? Why does he commit this action?

2. What is the setting in the opening of Chapter 4? What state is Holston in at the beginning of the chapter?

3. What changes take place in the airlock as the time nears for Holston’s departure in Chapter 6?

4. What conclusions Holston make upon taking in the surroundings of the outer world in Chapter 6?

5. What is the setting and time frame established in the opening of Chapter 6? What is Holston doing in the beginning of the chapter?

6. What does Holston do after performing the cleaning duty in Chapter 6?

7. What does Allison initially say to Holston when she begins to talk in the holding cell in Chapter 5?

8. Whom does Allison believe to be responsible for keeping secrets in Chapter 5?

9. What “forbidden words” does Allison say in Chapter 5? How does Holston respond?

10. How are Holston’s memories of the second anniversary of Allison’s departure described in Chapter 6?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Love and Loss in Wool

a. Discuss Holston’s relationship with his wife, Allison. How close was their relationship? What were the main conflicts within their marriage?

b. In what ways does Holston’s grief over the loss of his wife drive his actions in the story? What do you think is the singular event that sets off the subsequent events in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and discuss the setting of the story. When does this story take place? What clues in the narrative indicate a time setting for the story? What is a “silo” and how is this setting described in the first chapter?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the theme of loss in Wool. How does this theme relate to Holston? How does “loss” affect all of the inhabitants of the silo? What symbols in the novel relate to this theme?

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