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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. The worst accident happened June 28th, __________, when Andy C. Hect, 9, was walking with his family along Crested Pool near Old Faithful.

2. The clinic at Old Faithful could only do what for Kirwin?

3. Kirwan yelled, '______________' in response.

4. Sometimes the temperature in Yellowstone falls to______________ degrees below zero.

5. By 1993, ___________ deaths had occurred because of a bison attack, but the potential for injuries is great.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did the author find the judge's request to have bears tracked to be ridiculous? Do you agree? Why or why not?

2. How did Andy Hecht's death affect the park? Does the author see this change as good or bad? Why?

3. When people feed bears, who is at fault? Why?

4. What are the two naturally occurring poisonous gases at Yellowstone? Where can they be found? Why is this important to know?

5. What has the author noticed about people's behavior around the wild animals found at the park? Why might they act this way?

6. Why is Yellowstone National Park fascinating for many visitors?

7. Have falling trees been a significant danger in Yellowstone? Why or why not?

8. What does the author suggest people do to be more in touch with nature?

9. Give an example of someone who caused dangerous rocks to fall. What were the consequences?

10. What happened to Harry Walker? Are you surprised by this story? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Yellowstone National Park is a beautiful place yet it is full of fatal dangers.

Part 1) Describe Yellowstone National Park. How is it beautiful, yet dangerous? Why is this important to the author that the reader understand? How is the author's background and interests tied to the writing of this book?

Part 2) What is the purpose of this book? Does the author fulfill this purpose? If so, how? If not, why not? Can you relate to the purpose of this book? Why or why not?

Part 3) How might other places around the world be both beautiful and dangerous? Might the information in this book pertain to those places as well? Why or why not? What can be learned about the U.S. view of dangerous and beautiful places such as Yellowstone through this book? How might this compare to other views around the world?

Essay Topic 2

Disappearances have occurred at Yellowstone.

Part 1) Describe these disappearances. What are the assumptions made about how these people disappeared? Are these valid assumptions? Why or why not?

Part 2) How has the park changed because of these disappearances? What has the park done to protect its visitors from getting lost and disappearing into the wilderness?

Part 3) How do the reactions to disappearances compare to those of known deaths? Is a disappearance worse than a known death? Why or why not? How has our country been changed by those who have disappeared?

Essay Topic 3

Deaths have been caused by lightning strikes, fires, and earthquakes.

Part 1) Describe the deaths caused by lightning strikes, fires, and earthquakes. Who was at fault in each of these deaths? Could these deaths have been prevented? If so, how? If not, why not?

Part 2) Are these dangers as important as other dangers in Yellowstone? Why or why not? How are these deaths different from others in this book?

Part 3) What can be done to help prevent injury and death from lightning strikes, fires, and earthquakes? How can the park learn from other areas of the country where lightning strikes, fires, and earthquakes are more prevalent?

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