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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. What did the raft weigh at the end of the journey?

2. After the journey, how long does it take Derek to come out of the coma?

3. What is the first thing the raft strikes as it races through the rapids?

4. What is Brian holding when he realizes what he is doing, at the beginning of Chapter 24?

5. How long does Brian believe it would take Derek to die of thirst?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Brian as the raft goes through the rapids?

2. What is determined about Derek's condition, and how well does he recover?

3. What does Brian consider when the wood he chooses for the raft is soft?

4. What does Brian find in Derek's briefcase?

5. What does Brian decide when he hears a whooshing sound, at the end of Chapter 21?

6. Why does Brian decide he can't leave Derek to go for help?

7. Describe the trading post and the people who live there.

8. Why does Brian talk to Derek when he is in the coma?

9. What horrible thought does Brian have toward morning as he struggles to return to the river?

10. What does Brian discover when he looks at a map he finds?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the novel, the author refers to the back story when Brian survived on his own. Discuss the back story and how the author tells the back story.

Essay Topic 2

Brian considers good luck and bad luck and how it affects survival. Discuss good and bad luck and how it relates to Brian and the survival experiences.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the relationship between Brian and Derek and how that relationship affects Brian when Derek is unconscious.

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