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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. Often stagecoaches would wreck due to what?

2. _________________ people have drowned in Yellowstone Lake and eleven (maybe seventeen) are of unrecovered bodies.

3. Most of the river drownings are due to what?

4. One death from _______________ occurred when, on August 15th, 1919, Louis Boatman was touring the park with his aunt and sister and decided to swim in the Yellowstone River.

5. ________________ of horses once occupied the park during the 'Grand Tour' which often occurred in stagecoaches that would last for five to ten days.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author have to say about the visitors' behavior regarding the park? What is his opinion about how the park is required to protect these visitors and how our nation as a whole treats its citizens? Do you agree? Why or why not?

2. What does the author say about people and their interest in chasms? Why is this significant?

3. When did the era of drowning begin? How could this have been prevented or lessened?

4. How do most drownings occur?

5. What are other ways that people have drowned?

6. Why did Britton kill Cunningham? Should he have done this? Why or why not?

7. Describe the one fight that led to a death. Are you surprised by this death? Why or why not?

8. What is the single most likely cause of death at Yellowstone? Why might this be?

9. Where did the Native Americans in Yellowstone live?

10. How often do forest fires take place? Why might this be?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many of the earliest deaths in Yellowstone come from battles with Native Americans.

Part 1) Describe Yellowstone's early Native American history. What tribes lived in Yellowstone? How might they ended up in Yellowstone? Why might they have left? What battles took place in Yellowstone? Why did these battles take place?

Part 2) How are these battles important to the author and to the purpose of this book? How do these battles and subsequent deaths differ from most of the other deaths mentioned in this book?

Part 3) What is the author's opinion of death during war? Why might he feel this way? How do his feelings about death during battle compare to his feelings about other fatalities? Why?

Essay Topic 2

There have been strong reactions to the deaths of those killed in Yellowstone.

Part 1) Describe a death at Yellowstone. What were the reactions to this death? Are you surprised by these reactions? Why or why not? Is this an appropriate way to handle this death? Why or why not?

Part 2) How have the deaths at Yellowstone affected the park itself? How have they also affected those who work at and visit the park? How has the park changed over time due to these deaths? Are these good changes? Why or why not? Would the author see these as good changes? Why or why not?

Part 3) How have deaths elsewhere in the U.S. affected the places in which those deaths occurred? In general, is enough done to protect others from such deaths? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Disappearances have occurred at Yellowstone.

Part 1) Describe these disappearances. What are the assumptions made about how these people disappeared? Are these valid assumptions? Why or why not?

Part 2) How has the park changed because of these disappearances? What has the park done to protect its visitors from getting lost and disappearing into the wilderness?

Part 3) How do the reactions to disappearances compare to those of known deaths? Is a disappearance worse than a known death? Why or why not? How has our country been changed by those who have disappeared?

(see the answer keys)

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