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

Short Answer Questions

1. The author has another run on "September 18" - this time running a length of __________ miles.

2. The trees that now populate the region are the trees of __________.

3. "Beginnings" deals with the author's goals for the _________ he will spend in the cabin.

4. In "Late Summer Ramblings," the author writes about the changing of the seasons and the life cycle of ________.

5. While the author is working on building the new outhouse, what must he make a trip into town to get?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the author's traveling companion. Why might he want this companion?

2. How does the author feel about his housemates in "October 7 Housemates"? Why?

3. Describe "October 1 The Foliage." How is "October 1 The Foliage" an important chapter?

4. How is the author's sense of smell important to him?

5. How does "August 9-13 Some Berries" lead to a reflection of the author's childhood?

6. How is the logging business important to the people of this region?

7. What does the author learn about the life cycles of plants and animals in "The Urgency of Spring"?

8. What happens to the author's vegetables? How might he feel about this?

9. What does the author learn about living simply in his first two months?

10. What takes place in "August 4 Wanderers"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author has developed a keen sense of only noticing the unique and new.

Part 1) Use details from the book to prove this statement to be true. How has he come to have this keen sense? How is he now like Jack? is he also like other wild animals? Why or why not? Are you surprised that he has grown to be more like the animals around him? Why or why not?

Part 2) What does this change in the author's senses reveal about the influence of one's environment? How much has the author been influenced by his environment? Explain.

Part 3) Can this change in one's senses take place in the civilized, modern world? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 2

Fishing is often discussed in this book.

Part 1) Describe the author's fishing expeditions. Why does he go fishing? How is fishing important in this book? What other activities pertaining to his relationship with nature are also important? Why?

Part 2) What else is also discussed a great deal in this book? Why? How is this important to the author and to this book?

Part 3) What activities in your own life are of importance? Why? How do these activities compare to those of the author?

Essay Topic 3

The author captures a raven and names him Jack.

Part 1) How does he go about catching the raven? Why does he capture Jack? Describe the author's experiences with Jack. What is learned about the author through his relationship with Jack?

Part 2) How does the author change because of Jack? What does he learn from Jack? How do ravens become a significant aspect of this book? Why?

Part 3) How is the author's relationship with all animals a significant part of this book? What does this reveal about the author?

(see the answer keys)

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