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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. Charles Kenck and Richard Dietrch were killed by the ________________ in 1877 though this was due to an invasion into their territory.

2. More people in Yellowstone have died from _________________ than any other single cause of death save those not included in the book.

3. ____________ murders have occurred inside Yellowstone and ten in nearby towns.

4. The Shoshones and Bannocks lived to the ___________________.

5. Today Yellowstone sees between zero and five ________ deaths a year.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Whittlesey think about these early deaths? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

2. Describe the first suicide at Yellowstone. How is this story important?

3. What does the author have to say about the visitors' behavior regarding the park? What is his opinion about how the park is required to protect these visitors and how our nation as a whole treats its citizens? Do you agree? Why or why not?

4. Describe one of the shootings. What does this story reveal about those who were involved in this shooting and about guns?

5. When were automobiles first seen in the park? How did this affect the death rate?

6. When have plane crashes occurred? Which was the largest craft to crash? Why is this significant?

7. What does the author say about people and their interest in chasms? Why is this significant?

8. What is the single most likely cause of death at Yellowstone? Why might this be?

9. Why did Britton kill Cunningham? Should he have done this? Why or why not?

10. When did the era of drowning begin? How could this have been prevented or lessened?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author finds the information in this book to be very important.

Part 1) What are the five most important pieces of information found in this book? How is each of these pieces of information important? Why do you believe these are the most important? How do each support the author's purpose for the book?

Part 2) How are these five pieces of information connected to each other? How do they help to tie the book together? Are they important specifically to those visiting and working in Yellowstone? Why or why not?

Part 3) How is this book, as a whole, important for both visitors to Yellowstone and others who want to be closer to nature? How can the information found in this book also be relevant in everyday life?

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?

(see the answer keys)

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