English 12B Checkpoint 26
Read paragraphs 35-47 in "The Hammer of God." Which option accurately supports the author's choice to structure Senator Ledstone's story as a flashback?
By mentioning the Chrislamic belief that the asteroid was the instrument of doom and by focusing on the fanatical factions in the flashback, the author creates the potential for conflict in the main story.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." Now indeed Kali's orbit had been drastically changed; never again would it come near Earth. On its next return to the inner solar system, the swifter spacecraft of a later age would visit the crumpled wreckage of Goliath and bear reverently homeward the bodies of those who had saved the world. Until the next encounter. Which options accurately explain the implicit meaning of the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
Even with progress and expanded space travel that will come in the future, asteroids will still be dangerous. AND Although the Earth is now safe from a collision with one asteroid, choosing to save worlds will continue to cost human lives.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." Now indeed Kali's orbit had been drastically changed; never again would it come near Earth. On its next return to the inner solar system, the swifter spacecraft of a later age would visit the crumpled wreckage of Goliath and bear reverently homeward the bodies of those who had saved the world. Until the next encounter. What options accurately identify and explain the function of the narrative text element used in the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
Foreshadowing creates more suspense about Kali's next visit to the solar system. AND Flash-forward shows what happened to the crew of the Goliath.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." The sight was heartbreaking: The great propellant tanks were opening up like flowers in a time-lapse movie, spilling out the thousands of tons of reaction mass that might have saved the Earth. Wisps of vapor drifted across the face of the asteroid, veiling its cratered surface with an evanescent atmosphere. Which option accurately explains the meaning of the simile in this excerpt?
The comparison of the opening of the tanks to the opening of flowers emphasizes the delicate nature of the operation.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." That was only the beginning of disaster: Now the real tragedy began. Nitric oxides rained from the air, turning the sea to acid. Clouds of soot from incinerated forests darkened the sky, hiding the sun for months. Worldwide, the temperature dropped precipitously, killing off most of the plants and animals that had survived the initial cataclysm. Which option is the accurate synonym for cataclysm as it is used in the excerpt?
devastation
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." And his grandfather had been one of the most notorious bootleggers of the 21st century. Before he was killed in a shoot-out with the Canadian Medicops during an ingenious attempt to smuggle a kiloton of tobacco up Niagara Falls, it was estimated that "Smokey" had been responsible for at least 20 million deaths. Ledstone was quite unrepentant about his grandfather, whose sensational demise had triggered the repeal of the late U.S.'s third, and most disastrous, attempt at Prohibition. Which option is an accurate synonym for demise as it is used in the excerpt?
passing
What statements accurately identify a theme of "The Hammer of God"? (Select all that apply.)
As long as there are humans, there will be evil in the world. AND Advanced technology is not a cure-all for humankind's problems.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." He would have been far less relaxed had he known of the ABSOLUTE PRIORITY message racing toward him by tight infrared beam from ASTROPOL headquarters in Geneva. It would not reach Goliath for another 30 minutes. And by then it would be much too late. Which options clearly explain the use of foreshadowing in the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
Something terrible is going to happen because the message from Geneva will not reach the ship in time. AND The people on the ship will be shocked because they are unaware of what is coming from Geneva.
What option correctly analyzes the symbolic meaning of the title "The Hammer of God"?
The hammer, representing the asteroid, symbolizes an instrument of destruction used by God to punish humankind.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." No one who survived hearing it could ever describe the sound of Kali's passage; none of the recordings were more than feeble echoes. The video coverage, of course, was superb, and would be watched in awe for generations to come. But nothing could ever compare with the fearsome reality. Two minutes after it had sliced into the atmosphere, Kali reentered space. Its closest approach to Earth had been 60 km. In that two minutes, it took 100,000 lives and did $1 trillion worth of damage. Which options accurately explain the purpose of the placement of these two paragraphs? (Select all that apply.)
In the first paragraph, the author admits that there is no way to reproduce the true reality of the destruction resulting from Kali. So, in the second paragraph, he relies on the facts to relay the horror. AND The author describes the event emotionally in the first paragraph and then offers facts of the damage in the second paragraph to provide a full picture.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God," in which the crew must decide where Goliath should go after the initial failure to deflect Kali. The captain held up his hand for silence. "The only important question now is, Moon or Mars? They'll both need us. I don't want to influence you" (that was hardly true; everyone knew where he wanted to go), "so I'd like your views first." The first ballot was Mars 6, Moon 6, Don't know 1, captain abstaining. Each side was trying to convert the single "Don't know" when David spoke. "There is an alternative." "What do you mean?" Captain Singh demanded, rather brusquely. "It seems obvious. Even though ATLAS is destroyed, we still have a chance of saving the Earth. According to my calculations, Goliath has just enough propellant to deflect Kali—if we start thrusting against it immediately. But the longer we wait, the less the probability of success." There was a moment of stunned silence on the bridge as everyone asked the question, "Why didn't I think of that?" and quickly arrived at the answer. David had kept his head, if one could use so inappropriate a phrase, while all the humans around him were in a state of shock. What option effectively explains the significance of the structure of the excerpt?
The author chooses to use dialogue, short sentences, and the quick action of the voting in this section to move the plot action quickly forward.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." Ever since the demilitarization of Planet Earth (much accelerated by the famous slogan "Guns Are the Crutches of the Impotent"), such activities had been frowned upon, though not actively discouraged. Which context clues would be most helpful in figuring out the meaning of impotent as it is used in the excerpt? (Select all that apply.)
the Crutches of AND Ever since the demilitarization
Read paragraphs 35-47 in "The Hammer of God." Which option accurately supports the author's choice to structure Senator Ledstone's story as a flashback?
The use of flashback emphasizes the role that Senator Ledstone's funding of Spaceguard played in the current story; for example, he approved the "construction of two powerful orbiting tugs, Goliath and Titan, to be kept permanently patrolling on opposite sides of the sun."
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." Captain Singh knew what would happen next: He had run this sequence a dozen times. Toby would begin to cry, the monkey would disappear, he would comfort the child as he carried him back to the house ... But that had been twenty years ago and a quarter-billion kilometers away. The playback came to an end; sound, vision, the scent of unknown flowers and the gentle touch of the wind slowly faded. Suddenly, he was back in this cabin aboard the orbital tug Goliath, commanding the 100-person team of Operation ATLAS, the most critical mission in the history of space exploration. Which options clearly explain how the use of flashback in the excerpt helps characterize Captain Singh? (Select all that apply.)
The flashback provides a sense of how Captain Singh's life has become more complicated. AND The flashback provides a contrast between Captain Singh's present and past responsibilities. AND The flashback provides background on Captain Singh's past relationship with his son.
Read the excerpt from "The Hammer of God." And scattered here and there across that once dead landscape were the glowing fireflies that marked the first permanent settlements humankind had built beyond the home planet. Captain Singh could easily locate Clavius Base, Port Armstrong, Plato City. He could even see the necklace of faint lights along the Translunar Railroad, bringing its precious cargo of water from the ice mines at the South Pole. One of the themes of the story is this: In order to preserve our future, we must use science and technology to protect life. What options accurately analyze how the excerpt supports this theme? (Select all that apply.)
The words "He could even see the necklace of faint lights along the Translunar Railroad, bringing its precious cargo of water from the ice mines at the South Pole" indicate that science and technology enable colonies to exist on the moon. AND The words "across that once dead landscape were the glowing fireflies" indicate that the landscape of the moon is being cultivated to become livable, which requires science and technology. AND The words "the first permanent settlements humankind had built beyond the home planet" indicate that science and technology have played a significant role in making the settlements possible.