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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. Who is Billy Parham's younger brother?

2. What does Billy go off alone to do after some instruction from his father?

3. In what state does Billy Parham live?

4. What does the man in Casas Grandes say that Boyd believes?

5. When setting a trap, Mr. Parham uses _________________.

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Billy manage to survive after he buries the wolf?

2. How does Billy provide food and water for the wolf on the trip?

3. When do the boys first learn about the wolf?

4. What life lesson does Billy learn when he visits the old man to talk about trapping?

5. Why does Billy set a wolf trap in the vaqueros' smoldering campfire?

6. Describe how Billy manages to subdue the wolf.

7. What do the men want from Billy and how does he respond to their demands?

8. How does Billy reunite with Boyd and how do they escape?

9. Cite some examples that point out the relationship between Billy and Boyd.

10. What trouble waits for Billy after crossing the river with the wolf who can't swim because of being muzzled?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the overall setting for the novel. Why does McCarthy use the setting he does? What is the time period of the story? How important is the time period to the attitudes and issues of the characters?

Essay Topic 2

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of doing the right thing. Identify at least two examples about doing the right thing in the book. Then explain how each example supports the theme of doing the right thing.

Essay Topic 3

The author uses more than one iteration on the theme of loss. Identify at least two examples about loss in the book and then explain why the examples support the theme.

(see the answer keys)

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