View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Lord Selkirk, who manages the Hudson Bay Company, brings in settlers from which country to farm the Winnipeg area?

2. Why does the badger decide not to go out and hunt at the end of Chapter Six?

3. How does Ben react when the neighbor's dog charges him?

4. According to the author at the end of Chapter Two, a normal life span for a badger is how long?

5. How does the author say Esther MacDonald reacts to the journey in the prologue?

Short Essay Questions

1. What occurrence leads the MacDonalds to name the site for the new farm?

2. Why does William think Ben isn't normal, as stated in Chapter One?

3. Explain why the female badger did not run after her meeting with Ben.

4. Why does the hawk not frighten the badger while she searches for a site for her den?

5. Describe the process by which the female badger keeps her den clean and the purpose of her behavior.

6. In the prologue, how is Esther MacDonald described?

7. Describe the difference between William and Esther's opinions of Ben's development in Chapter Two.

8. In Chapter Five, Burton tells a story of a fight Lobo had when he was a puppy. Describe the fight.

9. Why was the male badger unable to detect the danger of the trap?

10. Describe the badger's appearance at the opening of Chapter Two.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Does the author present a realistic view of pioneer life, or is his version idealized to the point of being unbelievable? Include research to support your claim.

Essay Topic 2

How much of a role does imagery play in the novel? The author spends a lot of time describing nature; would the novel be as effective without these descriptions? Why or why not? Be sure to include supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 3

Are Eckert's animals lifelike and believable? Or are they too anthropomorphic to be real? Pick three animals from the story (aside from the badger) and discuss how realistic the animals seem.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 802 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample