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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. Who stays behind and doesn't climb with the group on this particular day?

2. What kind of attitude does Fischer have towards mountain climbing?

3. Who is the inexperienced climber that made it to the top of Everest with a guide?

4. What doesn't Base Camp have as one of its many luxurious amenities?

5. Who is suspected to have frostbite and a frozen larynx?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do Krakauer and Hansen have troubles getting out of their sleeping bags in the morning?

2. What are some examples of Krakauer's potential feelings of snobbery towards Mount Everest?

3. List some of the amenities the climbers have while at Base Camp.

4. What has Goran Kropp been doing on Mount Everest?

5. Which two people are in the picture Krakauer takes when he gets to the summit?

6. What happened to turn Base Camp into the tidy place it is in the 1990's?

7. Why do the climbers have to return to Camp Two as they are making their way up to Camp Three?

8. Why does Doug Hansen stay behind while the rest of the climbers head up to Camp Three?

9. What does Krakauer describe Tenzing as saying about climbing Mount Everest?

10. When Krakauer looks out his airplane window, what does he find so absurd?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Deciding what is real and what is not becomes difficult as the altitude changes and the oxygen tanks run low. But there are other ways the hikers' perception of the mountain can shift.

Part 1: Which characters have troubles distinguishing between reality and delusions? Why?

Part 2: In what other ways are hikers cut off from reality?

Part 3: Is there any way to make sure the hikers can remain aware of their surroundings at all times? Are any of the hikers able to keep their heads calm and collected?

Essay Topic 2

Giving into death must seem the easier route when you're stuck up on a mountain, waiting for someone to rescue you.

Part 1: Which hikers were stranded on the mountain while they waited for help?

Part 2: In what ways did they try to survive and to live through the night?

Part 3: What are some other ways hikers might have been able to keep themselves moving and motivated to live?

Essay Topic 3

In reaching the summit, it can be a amazing feeling of accomplishment. But it almost seems anti-climatic when you realize you still have to go back down - and quickly.

Part 1: Describe how Krakauer feels when he reaches the summit. Are his feelings positive? Negative? Mixed?

Part 2: Do you think hikers might rethink their plans if they knew they only had a few moments to spend on the summit itself? Why or why not?

Part 3: What might you do in the few moments you'd spend at the top of Everest?

(see the answer keys)

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