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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. Kirwan prepared to go in the spring and a bystander yelled what?

2. Who was the only person to die in a cave-in?

3. When did Kirwan die?

4. The author, Lee H. Whittlesey, was a Yellowstone Park Ranger and later a ______ student.

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How many dangerous plants exist in Yellowstone? Name one of them. How is this plant dangerous? Why is this important to know?

2. How many known plants exist on Earth? How man of these have cause death or serious illness in the Western hemisphere? Why is this information important?

3. What happened to David Allen Kirwan? How could this have been avoided?

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

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

6. How does the author treat the deaths in this book? Why does he treat them in this way?

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

8. Why were people killed in the 1930s by bears? Why might the bears have killed in these cases?

9. How are winters at Yellowstone dangerous?

10. What does the author understand about how humans feel about large, wild animals? What advice does he give?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Humans have a desire to be close to nature.

Part 1) Describe this desire, and support it with information from this book. Why do humans desire to be close to nature? How does this affect their behavior at places like Yellowstone?

Part 2) Why might humans feel that wild animals in a park would be tame? How do they come to assume this? How does Yellowstone try to warn visitors that this assumption is incorrect? Is this enough? Why or why not?

Part 3) How does the author suggest humans become closer to nature? What does this mean that visitors must understand? How might this belief affect Yellowstone and other parks like it?

Essay Topic 2

Death caused by bears is rare.

Part 1) Describe what usually takes place when bears and humans come into contact in Yellowstone National Park. Are you surprised by the behavior of many visitors around bears? Why or why not?

Part 2) Why might so few deaths occur from bear attacks? Are you surprised by this? Why or why not? How does this affect your view of bears? When a bear attacks, who is at fault? Why?

Part 3) Describe the story the author tells of someone who was killed by a bear at Yellowstone. Are you surprised by this bear's reaction? Why or why not? What might this reaction say about the bear? What should have been done about this bear? Why? What was done after this incident? Was this sufficient? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The author believes that the individual has a responsibility to make logical, safe decisions and conduct.

Part 1) Support this statement with information from this book. Why does the author believe this? How might his connection with the park influence his beliefs about visitors? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

Part 2) Do you believe that most of these deaths were due to ignorance and negligence? Why or why not? Might the author agree with you? Why or why not?

Part 3) In the U.S., is most of the responsibility placed on the individual who is injured or killed or the place in which the injury or death occurs? Support this with information from this book. Do you agree that this is where the responsibility should be placed? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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