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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. Where do Bryson and Katz stay after eight days of hiking?

2. Where is MacKaye's trail idea first published?

3. What is the title of the book Bill reads snuggled in bed weeks before the walk begins?

4. What is the story Katz tells as they recline on Indian Grove Gap?

5. What do Katz and Bryson hear about Mary Ellen two days after they leave her behind?

Short Essay Questions

1. Mary Ellen becomes a hiking companion to Bryson and Katz. Describe her experience as a hiker.

2. Describe the Chattahoochee Forest.

3. Describe the reaction Bryson and Katz have toward Hiawassee when they arrive there with Donna and her fiancé.

4. Describe the contrast between the weather in the south with the weather a hundred miles further north in Virginia.

5. Why are Bryson and Katz looking forward to hiking the eight miles to Waynesboro?

6. What are the benefits Bill Bryson believes he will get from hiking the Appalachian Trail?

7. What is the reaction of Katz and Bryson when they come out of the wilderness to the civilization of Knoxville?

8. Why do Bryson and Katz feel guilty about leaving Mary Ellen behind in the woods?

9. Explain the type of hiking that Bryson and Katz will have to do through the Smoky Mountains.

10. Why does Bryson describe his first day on the trail as hell?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

1) Compare Stephen Katz's thoughts and ideas as he hikes in the first section of the novel his emotional state when he goes to hike the Hundred Mile Wilderness with Bryson.

2) Cite examples from the book that describe his emotional problems and the need for alcohol.

Essay Topic 2

1) What is the message Bryson is trying to convey about the wilderness and civilization?

2) How does he depict a realistic and relevant view of human nature and the wild?

3) Are the human qualities of each character true to life? Explain.

4) How do the characters react to the everyday struggles of hiking the Appalachian Trail?

Essay Topic 3

1) Summarize how Bryson uses local color and imagery to describe the wilderness and the towns he and Katz visit.

2) Cite descriptive examples of trees, wildlife, waterways, towns, shelters, and motels.

3) Does the imagery Bryson uses depict a clear and accurate picture of the wilderness and towns along the Appalachian Trail? Explain.

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