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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What animals do the climbers use to transport their gear to base camp?
(a) Llamas.
(b) Mules.
(c) Yaks.
(d) Donkeys.

2. As Simon lowers Joe, what causes the most pain?
(a) The friction on his knee.
(b) The ice axes hitting his knee.
(c) The cold.
(d) His crampons snagging the ice and snow.

3. While Simon is lowering Joe, Joe swears a lot, mostly at...
(a) His crampons.
(b) The cold.
(c) Simon.
(d) The snow.

4. At the end of the chapter "On the Edge", Joe notes what about the day?
(a) It had been "neither enjoyable nor funny".
(b) It had been "brilliant".
(c) It had been "a scrabbling nightmare".
(d) It had been "what we live for".

5. What does Joe mean by a "tortured" cornice?
(a) Ugly.
(b) Pummeled by snow and wind.
(c) Twisted and distorted.
(d) Abused.

6. A hundredweight of icicles falls on Joe's head. How much is this?
(a) About 100 icicles.
(b) 100 kilograms.
(c) 100 grams.
(d) 100 pounds.

7. What is a patina?
(a) A Peruvian flatbread that Gloria cooks for Richard.
(b) A thin layer that appears slowly over time.
(c) A type of mountaineering skate used to descend slopes.
(d) The ceiling of a snow cave.

8. Simon tells Joe that he is knackered. What does this mean?
(a) He is cinched up in his knap-sack.
(b) He is dumbfounded.
(c) He is trying to shake off what he just saw.
(d) He is very tired.

9. What do the climbers run out of in the chapter "On the Edge"?
(a) Food.
(b) Gas.
(c) Worry.
(d) Snow for melting into water.

10. What do the climbers use to help them see at night?
(a) LCD screens.
(b) Flashlights.
(c) Starlight.
(d) Head torches.

11. How does Simon cut the rope?
(a) He saws at the rope with a knife for one hour.
(b) He touches a knife to it.
(c) He uses a sharp rock.
(d) He cuts it with a set of climber's rope-shears.

12. Who is the first character mentioned by the author?
(a) Simon.
(b) Joe's parents.
(c) Ian.
(d) Richard.

13. What is Joe doing in the opening scene?
(a) Climbing.
(b) Snoring.
(c) Drinking tea.
(d) Lying in his sleeping bag.

14. What is a pitch?
(a) A slide down the mountain on one's back.
(b) A section of a climb equal to one length of rope.
(c) A toss of the rope.
(d) The echo of the ax cracking the ice.

15. What is a "Friend"?
(a) A sleeping mat.
(b) Climbing gear.
(c) A belay device.
(d) A hydration bag with a tube for drinking.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many hours do Joe and Ian hang on the rope before being rescued?

2. A character in the book recounts an incident where one climber is dragged off a cliff while roped to his partner. What nationality are these climbers?

3. How does Joe try to gauge their height on the mountain?

4. What collapses under Simon's feet?

5. Who is the narrator when italic print is used in the book?

(see the answer keys)

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