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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 does the author believe is responsible for our changing seasons today?

2. In the section "Scents and Sounds," to what does the author listen?

3. Do they spot deer?

4. While the author is working on building the new outhouse, what must he make a trip into town to get?

5. What does the author do to the mice?

Short Essay Questions

1. How might the author's annual rendezvous be important, especially this year?

2. What takes place in "August 14 Whispers of Fall"?

3. How does the author feel about his housemates in "October 7 Housemates"? Why?

4. How does "August 9-13 Some Berries" lead to a reflection of the author's childhood?

5. Describe "October 1 The Foliage." How is "October 1 The Foliage" an important chapter?

6. How is the author like Jack? Why?

7. What does the author learn about the life cycles of plants and animals in "The Urgency of Spring"?

8. How does Jack act like other ravens? How does the author predict this?

9. What happens to the author's vegetables? How might he feel about this?

10. How is the logging business important to the people of this region?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author gets close to several animals.

Part 1) Describe these encounters. How does the author feel about these encounters? Why does he feel this way? What does this reveal about him?

Part 2) How else does the author grow closer to nature? Why? How might this affect him after he leaves the cabin?

Part 3) Why might it be important for all people to get more in touch with nature? How could this affect our communities and our planet as a whole?

Essay Topic 2

The author keeps records of his experiences for one year in the woods of Maine.

Part 1) Describe these records. Why does he want to do this? Why does he decide to spend a year in Maine? Do you see this as a beneficial experience? Why or why not?

Part 2) How did the author change throughout this year? What caused these changes? How might the author have been permanently affected by his experiences in the Maine woods?

Part 3) What have you learned from the author's experiences during this year? How might you benefit from this? Has reading this book changed you? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The author goes for many runs.

Part 1) Describe these runs. Why does the author choose to go on these runs? Why are they important to him? What do they reveal about him?

Part 2) How are his runs tied to other events in this book? What else is important to the author while he is living in the cabin? Why?

Part 3) What activities do you participate in? Why? What do they reveal about you? How are they important to you and your life?

(see the answer keys)

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