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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Simon feels as if the whole struggle up until he cuts the rope is the deliberate scheme of whom?
(a) The Peruvians.
(b) Joe.
(c) A bored and evil force.
(d) Himself.

2. When Joe encounters Simon's footprints, he describes them as sinuous. What does this mean?
(a) Meandering.
(b) Equally spaced.
(c) Reckless.
(d) As if he had been running.

3. When Joe falls into the crevasse, what is the first thing he does when he realizes he is alive?
(a) He pulls on the rope.
(b) He laughs.
(c) He yells for Simon.
(d) He looks for his head torch.

4. When Joe finally reaches Bomb Alley, he immediately finds a trickle of water. How long has he gone without food or water?
(a) "Forever."
(b) One whole day.
(c) Three days.
(d) Eight days.

5. What name does Joe shout over and over in the crevasse?
(a) Richard.
(b) Simon.
(c) Ramona.
(d) Jesus.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who does Simon get extremely angry at during his last full day at base camp?

2. The human figures Joe sees in the broken ice of a cliff are in "bas-relief". What does this mean?

3. What does Joe see that makes him certain that he is going to get out of the crevasse?

4. To what does Joe compare the figures in the ice?

5. When Simon reaches base camp, what is the first thing he says to Richard?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the reasons Richard gives for their expeditious departure?

2. As Simon turns for one last look at Siula Grande, what goes through his mind?

3. When Simon sees the cliff over which Joe had been hanging, how does he feel?

4. In the moraines, what device plays a crucial role in Joe's survival?

5. Joe tells of the most difficult thing he has ever done, and the best view he has ever seen. What are these?

6. When Joe finally clears the crevasses of the glacier and arrives at the moraines, what painful condition does he realize that he is stricken with, and how does he describe it?

7. Through the moraines, Joe's watch is a strong preoccupation. Besides pain, what is his obsession?

8. Before setting out across the moraines, what does Joe do with his Karrimat?

9. Why is Joe so worried about losing Simon's tracks?

10. While crawling away during his escape from the crevasse, what is Joe's most common excuse for stopping, and what persuades him to continue?

(see the answer keys)

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