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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 Brennan think the men in his mother's life do?

2. What does Coyote Runs call a match for lighting a fire?

3. What happens to Coyote Runs' horse?

4. Who ran the school Coyote Runs attended?

5. What did Brennan think was the reason the kids were so bad?

Short Essay Questions

1. What horse is Coyote Runs riding after the raid and what are his hopes concerning it?

2. When does Coyote Runs' group travel and where do they stop to rest?

3. What does Brennan do as the kids begin to settle down?

4. Where does the van in which Brennan is riding stop and then what do they do?

5. What does Brennan notice as he is arriving at his house in Chapter 2?

6. What does Coyote Runs believe about him and bullets and what does he do after catching up with the rest of the raiding party?

7. What does Brennan hear and what does he do with the skull?

8. Where does Coyote Runs go after Magpie is shot, what has happened to him and his horse? How does that affect what he does?

9. What happens to the group of warriors the day after the raid?

10. What does Brennan Cole like to do and how does it help him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss one of the following:

1. Compare/contrast Brennan to Coyote Runs. How are they alike? How are they different? Do you think their differences are mainly due to their era differences or culture?

2. Coyote Runs seems to be connected to Brennan. Do you think the connection would have occurred with anyone who happened to have found his skull? Why or why not?

3. Compare Coyote Runs' life with Brennan's life. How are they similar? How are they different? Use examples from Canyons to illustrate your comparison.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful novel?

2. Analyze and discuss Canyons based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1 and judge if Canyons is a successful novel.

3. Do you think the fact that Canyons has paranormal incidences in it changes whether it is a successful novel especially along the lines of whether it is believable? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:

1. Fully explain why you think Canyons is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?

2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.

3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.

4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished, you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 847 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample