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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. Even though the author has not killed a deer or even fired a shot, why does he declare it a successful season?

2. While driving along the way to take his son back, what does the author see?

3. Why might the squirrels be biting down into the bark?

4. While in town, for what does he find a lead?

5. The author decides to make maple syrup with whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is taking place in "March 13 Storm Warnings"? Why do the people act and feel this way?

2. How does the author deal with his "cabin fever"?

3. How does the author spend Christmas? How does he feel about this? How does this experience compare to his other experiences throughout this book?

4. How does the book come to an end? After a year of living in the woods, how does the author feel about his life there? Why?

5. What does the author notice about the squirrels in "March 20-21"? What are your thoughts regarding the squirrels' behavior?

6. Describe the author's dreams in "April 2 Dreams." What might these mean?

7. What does the author learn from this dissection? How is this important to him?

8. How does the author feel about celebrating Christmas? Why might he feel this way?

9. What takes place in "March 31"? How might the author feel about this?

10. What observations does the author make in "May 15 Weeds in Huckleberry Bog"? What might be the significance of this?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although the author's life may seem more simple, he is often very busy.

Part 1) What is he often busy doing? Why? What does this reveal about the "simple" life? Is it truly all that simple? Explain.

Part 2) How is the author affected by this simple life? How does he feel about his new routine and daily activities? Why does he feel this way?

Part 3) How might you be changed by simplifying your life? Would your life slow down if you simplified it? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The author notices how perceptive the wild animals are.

Part 1) How does he begin to notice this? Is he surprised by how perceptive they are? Why or why not?

Part 2) How does the degree of the author's ability to perceive begin to mirror that of the animals? Why does this occur? Might reading this book make you more perceptive? Why or why not?

Part 3) How else might a reader be changed by this book? How does this support the purpose of this book?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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