2. Why did Reed kill Snyder?
(a) Snyder was stealing from his family.
(b) He hated the man.
(c) Snyder attacked his wife.
(d) It was an act of self-defense.

3. How did Patrick Breen contribute to the fires at night?
(a) He shared his coal.
(b) He played the violin.
(c) He chopped firewood.
(d) He told tales.

4. What did the travelers do before they headed across the desert?
(a) They rested for a few days in the beautiful valley.
(b) They made hats to protect themselves from sand and sun.
(c) They prayed.
(d) They wrote letters to send back to their relatives.

5. What did the note from Hastings on the stick say?
(a) The trail ahead was very bad, and they should wait for Hastings.
(b) He said he would be with them shortly.
(c) His party had gotten ill so they were delayed.
(d) He told them to turn around and go back.

6. When did the group reach the Humboldt Sink?
(a) In the middle of September
(b) In the middle of July
(c) In the middle of November
(d) In the middle of October

7. What did James Clyman tell the travelers?
(a) The shortcut was clear for them.
(b) There were hostile Indians up ahead.
(c) He told them to stay away from the Hastings shortcut.
(d) The weather was perfect for travel.

8. How many miles would the cutoff save them?
(a) 750
(b) 400
(c) 30
(d) 100

9. How would James keep in touch with his family?
(a) He didn't.
(b) He would leave a note on the trail.
(c) Through seances
(d) He hid along the trail and used sign language to communicate with them.

10. What did the travelers eat for lunch?
(a) Grits
(b) Bread and beef jerkey
(c) Fish
(d) Venison

11. What was Reed going on to do?
(a) Get food for the travelers
(b) Find Hastings
(c) He was racing ahead to bring back help.
(d) Negotiate with the Indians

12. What did the Donners find along the trail when the groups were split up?
(a) Belongings from other wagon trains
(b) The body of a man from Hastings' party
(c) Berries
(d) Reed's body

13. Who possessed the west?
(a) Native Americans
(b) England
(c) Californians
(d) Mexico

14. How did the Native Americans describe the Sierra Nevada?
(a) The protective wall
(b) Rock upon rock
(c) Beauty and tragedy
(d) Entry to a new world

15. What did the surface of the desert consist of?
(a) Salt and alkali
(b) Nipping mites
(c) Copper-colored powdery sand
(d) Dust