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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. What type of animal skins line the elder's floor?

2. It is said that a shaman can make ____ talk.

3. What is a ptarmigan?

4. What emotion did the dogs feel when they first met Russel?

5. Oogruk says that before there was/were ______, animals "felt different about dying."

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the warning Russel receives from his father about cooking meat?

2. Who are the Outsiders? Why are they different from the Eskimos?

3. What does Russel's father try to explain to the 14-year-old boy?

4. What problem does Russel experience?

5. Oogruk tells Russel about the founding of the village. Who founded the village? How did things change when the people arrived?

6. What does Russel admire about Oogruk?

7. What is the basis of the story?

8. Where does Russel live and with whom?

9. Oogruk tells Russel about missing his wife, who ran off. What does Oogruk say? What is Russel's reaction?

10. Who is Oogruk? What is unusual about the man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

On more than one occasion, Russel had encounters with the animals. Most notably the meeting with the woolly mammoth, caribou, and the bear. Examine animal intelligence and how underestimating that intelligence might have been a fatal error for Russel. What might have happened if Russel had tried to dominate the animals prematurely? How would you feel if confronted by one of the animals?

Essay Topic 2

Russel's father tries to help Russel by preaching to him about the Christian faith. This does not help Russel. Explain the beliefs of Russel's father, why Russel does not share his father's faith and how the father reacts. Also examine how and where Russel goes looking for his own faith and belief system.

Essay Topic 3

What is the purpose of Russel's quest? What is the most difficult situation encountered by Russel? What is learned? Who plays the biggest part in Russel's transformation? How does Russel change during the journey?

(see the answer keys)

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