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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. Holston wonders as he is being dressed by Nelson in Chapter 4 why the others have always complied when in this position. “Holston thought maybe that people went along because” of what reason?

2. Who handles the procedural work for Allison while Holston paces outside the bars of the holding cell in Chapter 5?

3. What word from Chapter 6 refers to a plant or substance that is capable of causing death or illness if taking into the body?

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

5. Holston is described in Chapter 6 as “alone in the airlock, wearing a cleaning suit, full of doubts and” what?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What instructions does Nelson give to Holston in Chapter 4?

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

4. Where did Holston watch Allison’s cleaning from? What does the narrator say Allison did when she completed the cleaning in Chapter 4?

5. How is Holston’s behavior outside of the holding cell described in Chapter 5?

6. Why does Allison tell Holston she will return to the silo in Chapter 5?

7. How would you describe Holston’s emotional state in the end of Chapter 6?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Meaning of Appearances in Wool

a. Throughout Wool, there are clear discrepancies between what is real and what is portrayed as reality. Why do these discrepancies exist? What does Allison discover about these appearances?

b. Discuss the ending of the novel. What does Holston’s discovery mean in regard to Allison’s theories of the silo and its history?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze and discuss the character of Holston as the protagonist of Wool. What clues does the author give to Holston’s age in Chapter 1? How do you relate to Holston as a character? What is Holston’s overall objective in the story? Is he successful in fulfilling that objective?

Essay Topic 3

Describe the character of Nelson in the narrative. What does the author reveal about Nelson’s history in Chapter 4? How well do Holston and Nelson know one another? How would you characterize their relationship?

(see the answer keys)

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