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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. Miller tells Andrews that buffalo move toward a watering hole in what manner?
(a) They line up single file and then spread out as they come closer to the water.
(b) They converge upon the water no matter what types of animals are already drinking.
(c) They run headlong toward the water and trample one another in the process.
(d) They visit the water in groups and take turns drinking.

2. Once Andrews settles into his hotel room, he realizes that he has not seen one iteration of which object within the town of Butcher's Crossing?
(a) Glass window.
(b) Smile.
(c) Newspaper.
(d) Cloud in the sky.

3. Who starts the first campfire of the hunting expedition trip?
(a) Schneider.
(b) Andrews.
(c) Miller.
(d) Charley.

4. What type of animal will be hunted during the hunting expedition?
(a) Elk.
(b) Buffalo.
(c) Bighorn sheep.
(d) Caribou.

5. When the pain in Andrews's legs dulls after a few days, what word does the narrator use to describe how his legs feel?
(a) Wood.
(b) Metal.
(c) Glue.
(d) Paste.

Short Answer Questions

1. Charley does NOT cook which food for the hunting party while they are resting near Smoky Hill?

2. How many buffalo does Miller say the pile of bones represents?

3. How many weeks of provisions does the hunting party bring on the trip?

4. Who serves as the leader of the hunting expedition?

5. The bartender tells Andrews that when he does find Miller, Miller will likely be sitting with whom?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the reader learn about the protagonist before even knowing his name?

2. What is the significance of the field of buffalo bones depicted in the narrative?

3. What is the author's reason for including McDonald's comment to Andrews that "Young folks…don't know what to do with themselves" (22)?

4. What is the main hardship Andrews faces in the first days of the hunting expedition?

5. What are Miller's reasons for choosing the destination he does for the buffalo hunting expedition?

6. For what purpose does Andrews immediately seek McDonald when he reaches Butcher's Crossing?

7. What do Miller's comments about the dwindling number of buffalo show about his character?

8. When Andrews is unable to explain to McDonald his esoteric reasons for coming west, what does he tell McDonald instead?

9. What is the first real danger faced by the buffalo hunting party at the center of the story?

10. How does the theme of racism arise within the character of Miller?

(see the answer keys)

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