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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. As Lyra and the bears hurry along on their mission, they are stopped first by witches and then by

2. What does Lyra place in Tony's mouth before his body is cremated?

3. In the fight between Iorek and Iofur, Iorek is soon injured where?

4. While they are talking at Lord Asriel's home in the North, Asriel tells Lyra that Dust is

5. At the Bolvangar, when Mrs. Coulter asks Lyra about the girl's disappearance in London, what story does Lyra fabricate?

Short Essay Questions

1. Summarize what Lyra overhears of the conversation about escaped daemons between Mrs. Coulter and the men in the conference room.

2. Right before the battle between Iorek and Iofur, Lyra asks to meet and speak with Iorek. Why does she do this?

3. When Lyra and the Gyptians are attacked by surprise in the North, Lyra is abducted. Who takes her, and where do they go?

4. When Lyra and Mrs. Coulter are reunited at the Bolvangar, what does the woman tell the girl about Dust?

5. What happens after Lyra learns that Tony Makarios, the daemonless child she retrieves, is dead?

6. When Thorold wakes up Lyra at Lord Asriel's residence in the North, he is concerned. What does he tell her?

7. When Lyra consults her alethiometer under the insistence of John Faa to learn more about the Bolvangar, what details does she reveal?

8. Why does Iorek take Lyra to the village near the Bolvangar?

9. When Lyra is with Mrs. Coulter at the Bolvangar, she realizes she is safe only as long as she pretends to know very little of what is actually going on. What does Lyra tell Coulter to throw her off track?

10. Describe the prison where Lord Asriel is kept in the North.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Despite the starkness of the story, there are instances where the reader feels a deep sense of warmth and comfort experienced by Lyra. Cite three examples of Lyra---and the reader---feeling safe and secure. Why does Pullman include these scenes in The Golden Compass? How do they benefit or enhance the story?

Essay Topic 2

Various individuals and groups in the book have their own agenda.

1. Explain, in detail, how three of the groups or individuals depend on Lyra to further their goals.

2. How is Lyra able to stay on her own mission and complete her job when so many different factions want so much out of her? Support your answer with examples.

Essay Topic 3

Explain ways in which the children use their innocence and goodness to outsmart the conniving, heartless adults. What message is the author trying to convey through these examples?

(see the answer keys)

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