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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. Lyra and her daemon try to escape the Retiring Room, but when they hear someone coming, they are forced to hide again. Where do they hide the second time?

2. When Faa and Coram speak to Lyra, why is she frightened at first?

3. On the side of the golden compass, what does Lyra find?

4. At the cocktail party that Mrs. Coulter hosts, Lyra hears that her parents were

5. When the stranger who buys Lyra food in the streets of London asks about her father, what does she say?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Lyra learn about eating liver when she dines with Mrs. Coulter at the Royal Arctic Institute?

2. Lyra feels at home with the Gyptians and begins talking like them, but Ma tells her she is not Gyptian. Summarize the dialogue Lyra and Ma have on this matter.

3. Describe Lyra's attempts to read the alethiometer in Chapter 9, particularly regarding Mr. de Ruyter, head of espionage.

4. In Chapter 3, children of the region are going missing. What is happening to them?

5. Describe Farder Coram's daemon as seen through Lyra's eyes.

6. While Lyra and Roger explore underground passages at Jordan College, they enter a crypt. What do they find there?

7. How does John Faa respond to the Gyptians when they want revenge against the Gobblers?

8. What is the Retiring Room?

9. What happens to the journalist at Mrs. Coulter's cocktail party?

10. What is the Bolvangar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even though Lord Asriel is Lyra's father, Iorek serves as her father figure.

1. Compare and contrast Lord Asriel and Iorek.

2. Which one is more of a father to Lyra? Why?

Essay Topic 2

Analyze how the war games Lyra plays with Roger and the other children early in the story prepare her for the challenges she later faces in real battle. Cite examples.

Essay Topic 3

In The Golden Compass, many gray areas exist. Lyra is often confused trying to figure out who is "good" and who is "bad." Analyze three significant characters of your choice, explaining in what ways they are good, bad, and in the nebulous gray zones. Cite specific examples to support your analysis.

(see the answer keys)

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