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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. Ishmael allows himself to remember

2. Kabuo is arrested due to the

3. Ishmael had always pretended that his visits to his mother's home

4. With fog as thick as it was on the night that Carl Heine died, it was easy to

5. Kabuo visited Carl Heine to discuss buying back his family's property

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does the author refer more than once to the smell of snow?

2. What does Guterson mean when he says that, "...the prosecutor, knew well the value of a Susan Marie Heine."

3. What is Alvin Hooks' motivation in trying to convict Kabuo? How would winning the case benefit Nels Gudmundsson?

4. Why does Guterman get so graphic about the sex lives of Carl and Susan Marie Heine?

5. What new information does Hatsue provide that sheds a new light on the incident involving Carl Heine?

6. The idea of inclement weather has been woven throughout the story, including the heavy snowfall that has caused problems during the trial of Kabuo Miyamoto. What inspires Ishmael's decision to check with the coast guard about weather conditions at the time of Carl Heine's demise?

7. What is it that keeps Alexander Van Ness from agreeing to convict Kabuo Miyamoto?

8. What is peculiar about islanders and their relationships?

9. What is the reason for Art Moran's visit to Judge Lew Fielding in this chapter?

10. Why do you think Ishmael does not tell his mother about the records he found at the Coast Guard office?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Review Hatsue's childhood in this book and join the Imada family in your imagination. Write an essay about the Imadas' lifestyle and determine whether it is one that you could tolerate or not. Were there certain choices made by the Imadas that made life more difficult for them, or were they totally at the mercy of their circumstances? What about their lives is pleasant, and what is not?

Essay Topic 2

Check out the state of the salmon fishing industry and whether it is thriving or diminishing in the Pacific Northwest. Provide your reader with information regarding the ecological conditions that are required for salmon to thrive, and whether these have changed or improved over the past several decades. In addition, determine salmon's nutritional value, its importance in the human diet and in the diets of its predators.

Essay Topic 3

Carl Heine's accident is one that the Coast Guard missed entirely. Research historical Coast Guard rescues, and summarize their stories. What is the biggest challenge for the Coast Guard, and how have they dealt with obstacles that confront them? Wrap up your essay with a critical review of the coast guard, and determine whether they are an important branch of the military or whether they are just a lookout crew.

(see the answer keys)

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