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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. While pursuing Lord Asriel, Lyra and Iorek reach a bridge where they are forced to

2. Lord Asriel tells Lyra that the Magisterium decided that Dust was the result of what?

3. At the Bolvangar, when Mrs. Coulter asks Lyra about the girl's disappearance in London, what story does Lyra fabricate?

4. As the children escape from the compound, they see

5. When Lyra finds Tony Makarios in the fish house, whom does he ask about?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what ways is the Bolvangar similar to a school?

2. After Lyra and Roger go to Lord Asriel's residence in the North, what does Roger say to Lyra about the man?

3. What is the outcome of the battle between Iorek and Iofur?

4. When Lyra consults her alethiometer under the insistence of John Faa to learn more about the Bolvangar, what details does she reveal?

5. Why does Iorek take Lyra to the village near the Bolvangar?

6. When Lyra and Mrs. Coulter are reunited at the Bolvangar, what does the woman tell the girl about Dust?

7. Describe the battle that interrupts Lyra, Iorek, and the other bears as they chase after the tracks made by Lord Asriel's sledge.

8. When Thorold wakes up Lyra at Lord Asriel's residence in the North, he is concerned. What does he tell her?

9. As children line up to get hot drinks at the canteen at the Bolvangar, what does Lyra reveal to them about her escape plan?

10. When Lyra is imprisoned by the armored bears, she reads her alethiometer with help from Pan, who transforms himself into a firefly. What information does the alethiometer reveal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

1. Analyze the author's choice of an Arctic setting to magnify the severity of what is being done to the children and their daemons.

2. Compare and contrast Lyra's real world with what she glimpses in the portals to other dimensions.

Essay Topic 3

Explain ways in which the children use their innocence and goodness to outsmart the conniving, heartless adults. What message is the author trying to convey through these examples?

(see the answer keys)

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