View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the section "Election Time," the author's ______________ is visiting for a deer hunt.

2. A great glacier expands and retracts across North America for the last few _____________ years.

3. One raven flies close to the author, circles away, and then comes back. At this point, what is the author wondering about?

4. In "September 13," how many miles does the author run as he observes caterpillars, ravens, and flies along the way?

5. During the author's run, what does he notice?

Short Essay Questions

1. How are trees a good source of energy? What can the reader learn from this?

2. What takes place in "September 20 Clearcuts"?

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

4. How is the author's sense of smell important to him?

5. What does the author notice about the wasp and caterpillars?

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

7. Describe the author's first morning in the cabin. What can be predicted regarding his stay in this cabin based on this information?

8. What takes place in "The Time of Birdsong"? Why is this important to the author?

9. What does the author do to prepare for winter in "June 12 Early Harvests"?

10. What is the purpose of "Beginnings"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author takes his son to the county fair.

Part 1) Describe their time at the fair. What do these events reveal about the culture of those who participate in the county fair? What do the author's reaction and his son's reaction reveal about them?

Part 2) Why does the author tell of his trip to the fair? How is this trip related to other events described in this book? What else does the author do with his son? What do these activities reveal about each of them and their relationship with each other?

Part 3) How are fairs an important part of the American culture? Why are they still important today? What does this reveal about Americans today?

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 weather is an important part of life in the woods.

Part 1) Describe the weather patterns discussed by the author. Why does he discuss them? How is the weather important to him?

Part 2) Is weather as important to us in the modern world as it is to someone living in the wilderness? Why or why not?

Part 3) How does weather affect our world today? What role do humans play in the changes in weather?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,331 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample