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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did the narrator's mother write to tell him in Chapter 11?
(a) His father died.
(b) His goldfish died.
(c) His dog had died.
(d) His cat had died.

2. What does the narrator feed the mouse in Chapter 8?
(a) Cheese and nuts.
(b) Cheese and chocolate.
(c) Cheese and milk.
(d) Nuts and fruit.

3. What poem has McLear recently written in Chapter 19?
(a) "Beat Bible."
(b) "Lonely Night."
(c) "Dark Blue."
(d) "Dark Brown."

4. Where has Cody been for the past two years in Chapter 13?
(a) New York.
(b) San Quentin.
(c) New York State Penitentiary.
(d) New Orleans.

5. What does the narrator refer to his nightmare he'd had in New York in Chapter 5?
(a) "Mountain of the Mo Mien."
(b) "Mountain of the Night Terror."
(c) "Mountain of Vultures."
(d) "Mountain of the Mien Mo."

Short Answer Questions

1. In Chapter 1, who does the narrator say he was hiding with in San Francisco upon his arrival?

2. The narrator writes in Chapter 10, "With my mind even and upright and abiding nowhere, as ____ would say."

3. On what day does the narrator say he began to get bored in Chapter 7?

4. What is Kerouac's fictionalized name in Big Sur?

5. What is the name of the pet mule of the local settlers in the book?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the cabin as isolated as it is? What activity takes Jack an entire day in Chapter 6?

2. In what ways does the narrator reflect upon the history of Big Sur in Chapter 7?

3. What is Jack's reaction to Cody's disappointment to see him drinking in Chapter 13?

4. In what ways does Jack communicate or interact with the animals at Big Sur in Chapter 8?

5. What do the descriptions in Chapter 3 relate about the protagonist?

6. What "sign" does Jack speak of in Chapter 10 and why?

7. What is the description of the boarding house where his friends live in Chapter 12?

8. In Chapter 5, how does Jack's relationship to nature change?

9. Who does Jack quote in Chapter 10 as he leaves the cabin? What does he say?

10. How does Jack describe the nature surrounding him in Chapter 3?

(see the answer keys)

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