LITR 4632 2005 Final Exam                  Date: Thursday, 30 June 2005

Relative weight: app. 40% of final grade   Format: open-book and open-notebook

In-class: Write in blue or black ink in a bluebook or on handy paper

Email: email a copy of your answers to instructor at whitec@uhcl.edu.

·        The mistake students are most likely to make is to send it to “white” rather than “whitec”; if you send it to “white,” it doesn’t reach me.

Please try both of these approaches.

·        Attach appropriate word processing file(s) to an email for whitec@uhcl.edu.

·        Copy contents of file, then paste into an email message to whitec@uhcl.edu

·        If you have trouble sending me an email, save your word processing file to a 3 & ½ “ floppy disk and give it to me.

Time: Spend at least two hours writing. You may use the entire class period (2 hours and 59 minutes).

·        In-class students will be given the exam at 9am and must turn it in by 11:59.

·        All students will be emailed the exam at approximately 8:50am, at which time the exam will also be posted on the course webpage. Email students must mail in the exam by 2pm. However, email students should spend no more than 2 hours and 59 minutes in writing the exam, and they should keep a log indicating when they start and stop. (Pauses or interruptions are okay.)

References / texts

·        Refer to at least 5 or 6 of the stories read since the midterm.

·        You may use abbreviated titles.

·        No page references necessary.

·        Avoid copying out long quotations.

·        You may refer to pre-midterm texts or to texts, films, etc. beyond the course, but not to the point of neglecting required texts.

·        Refer to at least one student presentation.

·        Refer to at least one previous final exam essay.

Content:

Write a complete essay discussing “scenarios of the future,” organized according to a set of priorities, a standard of evaluation, or some other theme, issue, or thread you find significant in the texts and scenarios.

Some possible organizing themes mentioned in class—but you may develop your own set of standards or priorities. Welcome to combine:

·        Short-term—long-term

·        Likely—unlikely (or probable—improbable)

·        Utopian—dystopian

·        Friendly—unfriendly (or warm—cold)

·        Mechanical—organic

·        Virtual reality—actual reality

·        High tech—low tech / ecotopia