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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 was supposed to be finished by the first week of October but does not stop and causes delays in the journey?

2. What is important for Matthiessen's group to do once they pass 12,000 feet in elevation?

3. Who is making it difficult to pass through the region without a government permit?

4. What does Matthiessen struggle with when he reaches 17,000 feet?

5. Who is Matthiessen afraid that he will break a promise to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What creature is Matthiessen interested in possibly seeing in the Himalayas that he discussed previously with a young biologist?

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

3. Whom does Matthiessen think about when the sherpa fetches him and Schaller wine to drink in the old cow shed?

4. What happens to Matthiessen after he walks for 10 hours on the first day of their trek?

5. What are the final arrangements that Matthiessen and Schaller make before they can start their trip?

6. When they are hiking, what disgusts Schaller but he is powerless to prevent from happening?

7. What does Matthiessen do while Schaller climbs the countryside, looking for bharal after they pass through Dunahi?

8. In Part 2, how does Matthiessen describe his relationship with Deborah before she died?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Matthiessen frequently reminisces about his past, particularly his relationship with Deborah and her experience with cancer. How does travel help Matthiessen cope with his grief? Does it work effectively? With whom does Matthiessen share his feelings about Deborah on the trip? What events, people, and surroundings during his trip remind Matthiessen of Deborah? Describe.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Schaller is a noted biologist who travels to remote areas. What are some of the animals he studies and searches for in the Himalayas? Why are they important? Discuss their significance.

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