View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What prevents Bryson from continuing his hike in Pennsylvania when he is just hitting his stride?

2. For what is Bryson yearning?

3. What does Bryson believe beauty has become for most Americans?

4. What does Bryson discover when he walks to Kmart in Waynesboro?

5. Who joins Bryson and Katz in Gravel Springs Hut?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

2. What is the decision that Bryson and Katz make after Katz gets lost in the woods.

3. Describe the circumstances when Bryson comes close to becoming a hypothermia victim.

4. Explain why Katz starts drinking again.

5. How do Bryson and Katz adapt to hiking through Maine's wilderness?

6. Summarize Bryson's experience hiking in Pennsylvania.

7. What has Mount Greylock, the highest peak in Massachusetts, inspired?

8. Summarize the statistics Laurie Potteiger, the Information Specialist at Harper's Ferry, gives to Bryson about the number of thru hikers who hiked the Appalachian Trail the year before.

9. Summarize why Bryson is so angry about Katz drinking again.

10. Describe Chicken John's claim to fame.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bryson describes the attitudes of Americans toward the wilderness.

1) Interpret Bryson's views about Americans and the wilderness.

2) In what way do Americans differ in their attitudes toward the wilderness with other parts of the world? Use examples from the book to justify the answers.

Essay Topic 2

1) Compare and contrast the characters of Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz.

2) Summarize the impact each character has on the other.

3) Which character is the stronger character of the two both physically and emotionally? Defend the answer with examples.

Essay Topic 3

The wilderness is the main constant throughout the novel. It is depicted in all the chapters of the book.

1) Explain the different images Bryson uses of the wilderness as the book progresses.

2) What is the significance of the wilderness in each part of the book?

3) What meaning does the wilderness have for Bryson and Katz?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 610 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample