The Cobra Event Study Guide

TRIAL

ARK OF THE CITY

  1. Who is Kate Moran? How old is Kate Moran?
  2. Describe basal writhing.
  3. Does Preston succeed in capturing the audience’s attention in the first few pages? How so?

1969

FORBIDDEN ZONE

  1. What sort of nationality is Yevlikov's crew of?
  2. What kind of monkeys did the scientist on the beach use to record the effectiveness of the Utah laydown?
  3. What is the physical appearance of the blood clock? How does it work?
  4. Is it probable to decimate an entire population with a biological weapon?

INVISIBLE HISTORY (I)

  1. Was Nixon's denouncement of the use of biological weapons an actual event? If so, do you think he actually completely stopped the bioweapons program?
  2. What were the faults of the Biological/Chemical Weapons Conference of 1972?

DIAGNOSIS part three

MONKEY ROOM

  1. What does C.D.C stand for? Where are they located?
  2. What does E.I.S. stand for?
  3. Describe Austen's character.
  4. What is a stealth virus? Do you believe they exist?

VISION

  1. Do you think it is practical for the autopsy blades to have wood handles? Why or Why not?

WEST OF BABYLON

  1. What seems to be the role of UNSCOM?
  2. What is the basis of and significance of a 'snap inspection?'
  3. What is found on the Leather man tool?
  4. Do bacteria or virus smell, why?
  5. What does a bioreactor do?
  6. What are viruses made of?
  7. Would you consider a virus a parasite? Why or why not.
  8. Of the possibilities for bioweapons listed which ones are familiar to you?
  9. Who is in charge at the Al Ghar Agricultural Facility?
  10. The tanks Dr. Vestof shows them are odorless, what does this signify?
  11. What does a Level 4 Hot Zone mean? What is worn there?

What special procedures are followed there? If you were in a Hot Zone would you be able to handle it? If you had to go into a Hot Zone but didn't have a certified suit, how would you improvise?

MORGUE

  1. What is the mood of the book so far?
  2. What is a gray zone?
  3. How effective are the ultra violet light and air-filtering machines at purifying the air in the autopsy room?

KATE

  1. What does Dudley refer a lethal dose of bad drugs to as?
  2. What is a sign of Wilson's disease?
  3. What is Ephaphtha?
  4. What does chyme look like? What is it?
  5. Describe the abnormalities of the kidney of Kate.
  6. What is the dura mater?
  7. What was the first sign of virus in Kate?
  8. What was the cause of Kate's nosebleed? Why had it stopped suddenly?

THE CHIEF

  1. What is Austen's background/training?
  2. What is the importance of identifying an index case, is it always sure that it truly is the index case?

DEEPER

  1. What are neurons, where are they found?
  2. At this point, why do you think Kate got sick, where did she get it?

UNION SQUARE

  1. What makes some bacteria contagious? How do you define contagion? What are the three main ways that infectious bacteria attack other cells? (Think about this in terms of how different antibiotics work)

TRACKING

  1. What does asymptomatic mean? At any given point how many

students do you think are asymptomatic at Aptos High school?

  1. Do you think Austen should have quarantined Talides? Why?

UNKNOWN

  1. What do you think the chances of Austen being infected are?

THE LADIES ROOM

  1. How often do you think activities such as Littleberry's and Hopkin's adventure actually happen? Would you be willing to pursue a career that would entitle such activities?
  2. What is a bionk?
  3. Who is Felix?

INVISIBLE HISTORY (II)

  1. Describe the US history in developing bioweapons.
  2. What is anthrax, why does it seem to be such an easy/popular choice for an attack??
  3. Describe anthrax sputum exudates.
  4. What 3 things did American soldiers do in the Gulf to help protect from anthrax?
  5. How contagious is anthrax?
  6. What kind of forms does anthrax come in?
  7. What makes anthrax good to produce in high quantities?
  8. What is Botox? Why would you use this on your face to

eliminate wrinkles?

  1. What is meant when something is 'hot?'
  2. Is this chapter presented in a fictional or real way? How much is

real? Is it portrayed in a convincing matter?

A CAST OF THE NET

  1. How easy is it to find out information at hospitals about random

patients?

  1. What did Zecker seem to die of? Does it seem to coincide with the other deaths?

CELLS

  1. What do you think the lumps and needle-like shapes are in the cells?
  2. How many deaths have there been?

HOUSTON STREET

  1. What does enucleated mean?
  2. What do 'universal biohazard precautions' seem to entitle?

ISLAND

  1. What evidence is there for/against animals such as cats being the carriers?

WHIRLWIND

  1. At this point, who has died, why? Who do you think will die? What has been made certain about the sicknesses?

COBRA

  1. In this chapter Austen becomes almost sure that there is a virus that is purposely being transmitted. As she tries to bag all the infected things, what mistakes does she seem to make, what still might be infected? What would you have done differently?
  2. There were four people who were exposed, who if any, do you think will contract it, which are expendable in the plot?

KNIFE

  1. Why do you think that Dudley was so conscious until almost the very end?

DECISION

MASACCIO

  1. Who is Masaccio?
  2. What are your own personal theories pertaining to the perpetrator behind this crime?

ARCHIMEDES

  1. Does Archimedes seem insane to you? Explain why you think this.

DASH

  1. What does Landau do?

ANDREWS

  1. What is the significance of the chapter heading?

SIOC

  1. What would you have named this major crime investigation?
  2. Who is the director of the C.D.C?
  3. Do you think that Archimedes wanted to be detected thus far?
  4. What is TAML?

REACHDEEP part five

QUANTICO

  1. What is Reachdeep? What does it do?
  2. Who is Suzanne Tanaka?
  3. Who is Oscar Wirtz?
  4. What are the ninjas?
  5. What are the powers of a US deputy marshal?

THE HOT CORE

  1. Why is negative pressure needed in the Core? Are there places in

hospitals with negative pressure?

  1. What is a Racal hood?

INSECTARY

  1. How effective do you think lining the blinds with foil is?
  2. Do you think it would be possible to set up a level 3 Zone in your
  3. house? How would it be done?
  4. Can you at all see the plague as a positive highlight in history,

something that was truly needed? Explain.

  1. What is the mortality rate of Cobra?
  2. How does Archimedes 'package' his virus?
  3. Do you think that Archimedes not being infected is due to his

immunity or carefulness?

SAMPLES

  1. What does O.C.M.E stand for?
  2. What are the tell tale signs of Cobra? List at least 5.
  3. What is N.P.V.?
  4. What are the crystals around the virus? How do they enhance the virus, especially for Archimedes cause?

THE CODE

  1. What are the bases of DNA?
  2. Is DNA ever visible to the naked eye?
  3. What is the purpose of decoding Cobra?
  4. What is a chimera, and how are Hopkins comments upon it a

foreshadowing of the plot?

SIGNATURES

  1. What is a Q? Give an example.
  2. What is a K? Give an example.
  3. What do molecular biologist study?
  4. Do you think Hopkins has the virus?

CHIMERA

  1. Do you think the Unsub is related to Iraq, why or why not?

DAWN

  1. Would you have done it if in Tanaka's place, do you think she should have? Do you think she will become infected?

MORNING

  1. Do you think the subways are a good place for a release? Why or why not? What are criteria necessary for a successful dispersal?

WANDERER

  1. Explain the results of the army's release of Bacillus globigii.
  2. What groups does Archimedes seem to have contempt for? What is his motive in general?
  3. Do you think Hector Ramirez's extreme contact with Cobra affects the speed of the onset of symptoms?

BRIEFING

  1. What is Cobra, which viruses? What level of education seems to be needed for this particular virus? Level needed to create a simple bioweapon?

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ART

  1. If you were Archimedes, do you think you would be able to escape being pinpointed, how?

WASHINGTON

  1. Do you think that Archimedes procedure was secure enough to insure that he doesn't become infected? What would you do differently?

DUST

  1. From what plant does the pollen come?

NAIROBI

  1. Do you think that for the expenses of this trip, they will yield any results?
  2. Do you think that it is practical to insert such chapters in novels

without them leading somewhere?

CASE

  1. Where are the basal ganglia located?
  2. What is rebavirin?
  3. What is Dilantin?
  4. How did Dana become infected?
  5. How is Cobra weakened as it goes from host to host?

RECOMBINATION

  1. Who is Littleberry blaming?

INVISIBLE HISTORY (III)

  1. What happened at Johnston Atoll?
  2. Do you feel that this book has at all changed your mind to the

possibility of government involvement/ knowledge of bioweapons?

  1. Why is small pox particularly dangerous to us now? Do you think it really is a threat?
  2. What cuts DNA?
  3. What was the Cohen and Boyer experiment?
  4. Are there still cases of plague in the United States?
  5. What is the world's supply of smallpox vaccine?
  6. Who is currently vaccinated?
  7. Does it make sense that the Gulf War syndrome was/is caused by a virus? What does/doesn't accredit this?
  8. Write two paragraphs on the possibility of air-born Ebola, or

smallpox spreading throughout the US?

THE OPERATION part six

BOY

  1. Review, who is Hector Ramirez? How did he become infected?
  2. How do the doctors detect brain swelling?
  3. What does it look like the victims have? Why is there diagonal thrashing?

LESCH-NYHAN

  1. This disease is caused by a mutation on which chromosome? What does this mean as to who gets it naturally?
  2. Which enzyme is lacking with this disease?
  3. Where are the main biotech areas? Why in these areas?
  4. What is a “freeze and seize”?

BIO-VEK, INC.

  1. Who is Dr. Heyert?
  2. What does Bio-Vek do?

BOBBY

  1. What does the ring design of the building imply?
  2. What suspicions does Dr. Vestofs presence confirm? What were the suspicions?
  3. Who is Tom Cope?

FREEZE

  1. What does Tanaka’s death show about Cobra?

WASHINGTON

  1. Assess Hertog’s job, do you think he served well or that the deaths in Washington could have been prevented?

BREAK

  1. Do you think that Hopkins and Austen are justified in their actions? Do you think they will be punished? Do you think it is possibly irresponsible?

BIOPREP

  1. How does Cope plan to disperse the weapon, do you think that this is a good way?
  2. What happened to the viral crystal Hector spit out at the merry go round?

SURVEILLANCE

  1. What surveillance measures are they taking on Cope? Did his safe guards of being watched work?
  2. How does Cope being infected change things, what will he or won't he do?
  3. Is there any way for the FBI to know Cope is infected?

DOWN

  1. Do you think that the apartment will be able to be cleaned enough for future tenements? Would you want to be told if a similar situation took place in your residence before you lived there? Does law require it?

CUTOFF

  1. What do you think will happen from here?

ESSEX-DELANCEY

  1. What tunnel are they traveling through in the beginning of the chase? What direction?
  2. What extremely ironic situation partially quiets the threat of cobra to the public?
  3. How many died?

QUARANTINE

  1. Is the threat of Cobra over now that there has been quarantine and clean up?
  2. How possible is it that such an event could take place, such as the dispersal of a highly contagious and lethal bio weapon? What measures have been taken to prevent it?

THE HOST

  1. How did you like this book concerning plot line, character

development, practicality, writing style, and conclusion?

  1. When was this book written? What is the background of the author?

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