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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. Where did the Germans go after finding the Whiteman Cement Mine?

2. What does the narrator do before he leaves to visit Capt. John Nye?

3. Where is the monument for Captain Cook located?

4. How does the narrator feel before giving the first lectures?

5. According to the narrator, what is one of the hottest places in the world?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the Whiteman Cement Mine and why is it considered to be elusive?

2. Why is the narrator's work never published in The Weekly Occidental?

3. How long does the narrator stay in Hawaii, and in what way does the author's literary tone change in these chapters?

4. Who is Higbie, and why is he valuable for the narrator's search of Mr. Whiteman?

5. What causes the narrator to travel to San Francisco?

6. What happens when the narrator encounters a band of highway bandits after a lecture?

7. How does Nevada change during the flush times, and what are nabobs?

8. How does the narrator begin working for the Enterprise in Virginia?

9. What is the process of mining silver and shipping it to California in 1865?

10. Why is finding a good horse a difficult task in Hawaii?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Humor and satire are used to depict the dire situation of the narrator and his crew as they are trapped in a snow storm.

1) Describe the actions of the narrator and his party as they prepare to face almost certain death after being lost in the snow.

2) What is the irony about the location of their camp and their actions once they are saved?

3) How does the author use humor in the situation and what is the satirical point he is making with it?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the court case between Hyde and Morgan. Include the events leading up to the case and each side's arguments. Also, explain the significance of the referee, his decision, and the message the narrator is delivering with the outcome of the case.

Essay Topic 3

One of the major lessons in Roughing It is the contradiction in the notion of becoming rich with little effort. This theme is returned to a number of different times throughout the book.

1) Explain what the goal of the narrator is in Nevada and why he believes it is possible.

2) Describe 3 ways that the narrator attempts to achieve his goal and the results of them.

3) Analyze the concept of becoming rich with little work, including what the author's message about it is in the book, and how the narrator's opinion of it changes.

(see the answer keys)

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