Jurassic Park

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Part 1

Reading Check

1. The pursuit of which scientific field leads to the creation of Jurassic Park?

2. What happens to Tina?

3. In which country is the “lizard” found?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Gutierrez start to suspect that he has discovered a new species?

2. What does Alice Levin believe the lizard looks like, and how does Dr. Richard Stone react to this theory?

Paired Resource

“Costa Rican Ecosystems: A Brief Summary”

• This short scholarly article outlines Costa Rica’s ecosystems, including plant and animal life, climate, and landscapes; it also includes photographs.
• Based on the information in the above article, why do you think Crichton chose to have Jurassic Park take place in Costa Rica?

Part 2

Reading Check

1. What is Dr. Alan Grant’s occupation?

2. Who identifies the lizard as, in fact, a dinosaur known as a Procompsognathus?

3. What theory does Ian Malcolm use to determine that the park will eventually fail?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why did Dr. Alan Grant work for InGen in the 1980s, and what does this reveal about his character?

2. How did Hammond attract investors to pay for Jurassic Park?

3. What plan does Biosyn devise against InGen?

Paired Resource

“Money”

• This poem by Robert Frost comments on the egotistical greed that money causes and the slow degradation of the world because of this pursuit.
• How do Hammond’s and Grant’s actions before the park is set in motion reflect How Money Corrupts Absolutely and The Dangers of Unchecked and Profit-Driven Scientific Advancement?

Part 3

Reading Check

1. Whom does Hammond shockingly invite to the park?

2. What does Tim see in the trees?

3. What does Grant discover that proves Hammond is not as in control as he believes?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What signs indicate to Grant and Ellie Sattler that they might be in danger?

2. How did Dr. Wu figure out that he could bring dinosaurs back to life?

3. In what ways are the dinosaurs similar to a software program according to Arnold?

Paired Resource

“Can We Bring Back Dinosaurs?”

• This Natural History Museum article explores the possibility of cloning dinosaurs from amber and what similar real-life techniques could one day be used.
• This information connects to the theme of Humanity’s Desire to Conquer Nature.
• What do you think a world in which dinosaurs were brought back to life would be like? Why do you predict it would be this way?

Part 4

Reading Check

1. Who runs away, leaving the children to fend for themselves?

2.Who is picked up and tossed by the T-rex?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What happens to Nedry?

2. Why does Hammond reveal that he chose to use his technology to open a theme park?

3. Why is Grant the perfect person to keep Tim and Alexis safe?

4. What is the Malcolm Effect and what does it imply about the park?

Paired Resource

“Chaos”

• This article briefly describes chaos theory and what it implies about the nature of reality.
• Why does Humanity’s Desire to Conquer Nature inevitably lead to chaos, and how is this shown through what happens in Jurassic Park?

Part 5

Reading Check

1. What type of weapon does Muldoon hope to use to take down the T-rex?

2. Where does Grant mistakenly take the children, hoping to keep them safe?

3. Where does the T-rex almost eat Tim?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What surprises Grant about the cearadactylus?

2. Why does Malcolm believe that humans’ pursuit of science and discovery “is an aggressive, penetrative act” (318)?

Paired Resource

“Could Humans Really Destroy All Life on Earth?”

• This BBC article explores how human activity is destroying the natural environment and questions whether people's greed and Humanity’s Desire to Conquer Nature is genetic or cultural.
• This resource offers further connection to the theme of The Dangers of Unchecked and Profit-Driven Scientific Advancement.
• Do you think that humans are naturally inclined to accumulate material goods and destroy nature, or do you believe that this tendency is the result of sociocultural influence? Support your answer using real-world or novel-related examples.

Part 6

Reading Check

1. What attacks Tim and Alexis in the kitchen?

2. Who manages to get the power grid back on?

3. Why does the docking ship refuse to listen to Tim’s warnings?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Hammond react to the fact that the park has fallen into chaos?

2. How does Grant manage to kill the raptors in the nursery?

Paired Resource

“Denial Makes the World Go Round”

• This New York Times article discusses the various forms of denial, how common they are, and why people engage in denial. (Subscription may be needed for viewing.)
• Why do you think Hammond so adamantly refused to acknowledge his mistakes, and what do you predict that his denial will eventually cost him? Consider The Dangers of Unchecked and Profit-Driven Scientific Advancement and Humanity’s Desire to Conquer Nature.

Part 7-Epilogue

Reading Check

1. How does Malcolm feel about his own death?

2. What is unique about how the raptors socialize and organize?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What does Malcolm believe will be the earth’s fate?

2. What happens to Hammond in the end?

3. How does Grant feel to leave Jurassic Park?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Lost World by Michael Crichton

• The sequel to Jurassic Park explores events five years after the park’s destruction when dinosaurs have infiltrated the mainland.
• Shared themes include The Dangers of Unchecked and Profit-Driven Scientific Advancement.
• The Lost World on SuperSummary

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

• This classic novel by Mary Shelley explores the dangers of scientific inquiry and how its pursuit can lead to corruption and destruction.
• Shared themes include The Dangers of Unchecked and Profit-Driven Scientific Advancement and Humanity’s Desire to Conquer Nature.
• Frankenstein on SuperSummary