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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 surprises Matthiessen when he arrives with Tukten in the village to catch the plane?

2. Who is Matthiessen traveling with when he looks for Tukten?

3. The sight of ______________ makes Matthiessen feel restless and want to read his letters.

4. Who finds an unlocked building on Crystal Mountain where Matthiessen's group can all sleep?

5. Where will the plane take Matthiessen in Chapter 4?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the animal that Matthiessen and Schaller think that they have found outside the monastery?

2. What does Matthiessen share from the letters he receives from Schaller dated December 8th and 9th in the last part of the book?

3. What is the uncomfortable discovery that Matthiessen makes during his descent down the mountain range from Murwa?

4. When Jang-bu and another sherpa go in search of firewood, where do Matthiessen and Schaller wander and what do they find?

5. What do Matthiessen, Tukten, and Dawa discuss around the campfire and what does Tukten say?

6. When the sherpas say that there is another trail east of the Shey Pass but the group does not have a permit, what does Schaller suggest?

7. Who gets sick along the last leg of the journey and requires immediate treatment?

8. Who do Matthiessen, Dawa, and Tukten find that can help them in Murwa?

9. What event do Matthiessen and Schaller witness outside the monastery that surprises them because they did not expect to see that animal or for it to act in the way that it does?

10. What does Schaller discover when he returns to Kathmandu that prevents travel in the Land of Dolpo?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Both Peter Matthiessen and George Schaller are the people this book focuses on the most.

Part 1) Compare Peter Matthiessen to George Schaller. How are these two individuals similar and how are they different?

Part 2) What inspirational purpose does Schaller's mission to Nepal ultimately offer Peter Matthiessen? Elaborate on this.

Part 3) The two men have ultimately two very different experiences. Why does this happen? Schaller encounters the snow leopard at the end, which makes him happy. Peter Matthiessen experiences something different, bonding with the sherpa Tukten who ultimately disappears. Share your opinion on these two experiences.

Essay Topic 2

At Crystal Mountain, Matthiessen and the group arrive at a monastery. The head of the monastery called the lama is away. In Buddhism, what is the importance of the lama? Describe the role of the lama. Do some research on the Shey Monastery. What does the area look like today? How does it resemble the description provided by Matthiessen when he visited the area?

Essay Topic 3

Matthiessen learns about Nepal during the trip and in particular, its environmental problems. Describe what he notices and what its impact in on Nepal's economy as well as the forested habitats. Without conservation, what could happen to these areas? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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