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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. Who walks easily on sharp ledges and inspires admiration from Matthiessen?

2. What does Matthiessen remove as he adjusts to his journey?

3. What is the date of Matthiessen's last entry in Part 2?

4. Who/what is Matthiessen's group afraid of meeting when they take a new path to the north up the Kali Gandaki?

5. What does Matthiessen find that Schaller thinks is a sign of the snow leopard?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes the journey through Kali Gandaki especially difficult?

2. When Matthiessen and Schaller arrive in Pokhara, whom do they meet?

3. What does a sherpa point out to Schaller while they take a break on the mountainside that makes Schaller happy?

4. When the sherpas lag behind Matthiessen and Schaller, what does Schaller fear that he will miss?

5. Why is Matthiessen so affected by the rain and bad weather after they pass through the canyon?

6. What do Matthiessen and the party see as they hike up the mountain in high spirits that reminds them of their mortality?

7. Why is the journey initially very peaceful when Matthiessen and Schaller leave Pokhara?

8. What do Matthiessen and Schaller pass as they trudge up along the footpath in the mountains at the beginning of their journey?

9. What does Matthiessen notice in the Jaljala Ridge?

10. How does Matthiessen adjust to the higher elevations once they pass 12,000 feet?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Create a brief portrait study of Peter Matthiessen. What does he look like? What are his positive personality traits? What are some of his negative characteristics? What are his hopes and fears? What motivates him through his life? How does he change from the beginning of the book, to his trip to the Shey Monastery, and finally as he gets ready to leave Kathmandu?

Essay Topic 2

The author reiterates the theme of loss in "The Snow Leopard". Identify at least two themes about loss in the book. Cite an example to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Along their journey, Matthiessen, Schaller, the sherpas, and porters all exhibit signs of fatigue ranging from bloody feet to altitude sickness and snow blindness. How does the elevation of the mountains affect them? Describe the symptoms of altitude sickness. What does the topography of the mountains demand from them physically?

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