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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. After being awakened by Thorold at Lord Asriel's house, Lyra learns that Asriel has taken

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

3. As the children escape from the compound, they see

4. Lord Asriel explains to Lyra that the name "Dust" was derived from a passage in the Bible reading

5. When Lyra is taken to the canteen at the Bolvangar, whom does she see?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the Bolvangar, what do the three girls who wake Lyra up tell her about what goes on there?

2. After Lyra and Roger go to Lord Asriel's residence in the North, what does Roger say to Lyra about the man?

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

4. When Lyra is imprisoned by the armored bears, she reads her alethiometer with help from Pan, who transforms himself into a firefly. What information does the alethiometer reveal?

5. While Lyra is imprisoned in the armored bears' palace, what does she learn about the king bear from a fellow prisoner?

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

7. What does Serafina say when Lyra asks her if she loved Farder Coram?

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

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

10. Describe the battle that interrupts Lyra, Iorek, and the other bears as they chase after the tracks made by Lord Asriel's sledge.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lyra lies a great deal, especially to protect herself and others. Compare and contrast the reasons for her lies with the reasons that her parents, Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter, lie and withhold information. Are any of her parents' lies ever justified? Explain and support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Lyra's feelings towards Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter at the start of the story, when she does not yet know they are her parents, and at the conclusion of the book, when she knows they are her parents and has seen what they are capable of. How do her feelings evolve? How do her feelings tear her apart? Despite her mixed feelings, what does Lyra become certain of?

Essay Topic 3

The issue of trust is constantly put to the test in The Golden Compass. Show how Lyra makes decisions regarding whom to trust and whom to be wary of. On what basis does she make these decisions? How accurate is she? Support your argument with examples.

(see the answer keys)

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