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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. What is on the trail that slows down the hikers as they move along the glacier?

2. Which of the guides have already become ill as a result of the conditions at Lobuje?

3. Who is the Base Camp manager for the group?

4. Who does Krakauer see climbing up to the summit and who appears as looking beat?

5. Who accompanied Denman on a mission even though he knew it would be unsuccessful?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the character of Rob Hall.

2. What did Rob Hall and his climbing partner, Gary Ball, achieve as climbers together?

3. After whom was Mount Everest named after?

4. What happened to turn Base Camp into the tidy place it is in the 1990's?

5. Describe Andy Harris and what Krakauer learns about him as they hike.

6. Why does Hall only have his group walk a few hours a day?

7. List some of the amenities the climbers have while at Base Camp.

8. When Krakauer looks out his airplane window, what does he find so absurd?

9. What are some examples of Krakauer's potential feelings of snobbery towards Mount Everest?

10. Describe Krakauer's feelings when he reaches the summit in his description at the beginning of this book.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In reaching the summit, it can be a amazing feeling of accomplishment. But it almost seems anti-climatic when you realize you still have to go back down - and quickly.

Part 1: Describe how Krakauer feels when he reaches the summit. Are his feelings positive? Negative? Mixed?

Part 2: Do you think hikers might rethink their plans if they knew they only had a few moments to spend on the summit itself? Why or why not?

Part 3: What might you do in the few moments you'd spend at the top of Everest?

Essay Topic 2

Deciding what is real and what is not becomes difficult as the altitude changes and the oxygen tanks run low. But there are other ways the hikers' perception of the mountain can shift.

Part 1: Which characters have troubles distinguishing between reality and delusions? Why?

Part 2: In what other ways are hikers cut off from reality?

Part 3: Is there any way to make sure the hikers can remain aware of their surroundings at all times? Are any of the hikers able to keep their heads calm and collected?

Essay Topic 3

When Hall says, "The trick is to get down alive," it seems to be foreshadowing for the rest of the tale. This knowledge that getting down is the hard part is something all of the hikers could have benefited from.

Part 1: In what ways is getting down the mountain harder than getting up the mountain?

Part 2: What are some of the ways Hall and the other teams attempted to make the climb down easier on the hikers?

Part 3: What other ways might the hikers have better approached the trek back down the mountain? Are there any ways you can think of that might have made this journey smoother?

(see the answer keys)

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