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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 a storm rages for six days, what is Karana doing?

2. How do the sea otters affect humans?

3. What is a sai-sai?

4. What are the things that make the first day of house building a good omen?

5. Why does Chief Chowig advise the people not to visit the Aleut's camp?

Short Essay Questions

1. How many men come in the Aleut ship under the command of Captain Orlov. What do they want from the people of Ghalas-at village?

2. After Karana finishes building her home, she decides it is time to kill the wild dogs on the island. What does she need to do the job?

3. Summarize the description Karana gives of the Island of the Blue Dolphins?

4. Why is Karana angry with the Aleuts for hunting the sea otters?

5. How do the sea elephants help Karana decide where to build her new home?

6. Why didn't Karana want to return to the Island of the Blue Dolphins after her canoe starts to leak?

7. Ramo decides to go to where the canoes are hidden and bring one back to Coral Cove, so he and Karana can fish and look around the island. What happens when he goes on this mission?

8. Karana cannot sleep the night before she decides to hunt sea elephants. What does she think about as she lies awake during the night?

9. When there were people in Ghalas-at, Karana would be up before sunrise and busy with many things. What does she do now that she is the only person on the island?

10. Karana leaves the island in one of the hidden canoes. She is forced to turn back to the island after the canoe starts to leak badly. On the way back, she has two good fortunes. Describe what these good fortunes are.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Examine the concept that survival on the island is a form of initiation for Karana.

2) How does her life on the island move her from innocence to maturity?

3) In what way does she develop a new sense of herself?

4) How does she develop a deeper understanding of the world around her?

5) At what moment does this new knowledge of her world become evident to her?

Essay Topic 2

The story takes place on a remote island off the southern coast of California.

1) How does this setting affect Karana's situation and experiences?

2) How does living on the island affect the final resolution?

3) What does the setting symbolize in Karana's life?

Essay Topic 3

1) Evaluate the relationship between Karana and Rontu.

2) How do their attitudes change toward one another throughout the novel?

3) Explain how they become a true family.

4) Give examples from the story of how they rely on one another.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 968 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample