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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. Who looked to be the strongest, but is worn out by the quick pace at the start?

2. What is Ang Dorje called by the other climbers in the group?

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

4. Who carries most of the gear for the climbers as they continue their hike up the mountain?

5. What is Krakauer's reaction to seeing climbers lined up to get to the summit?

Short Essay Questions

1. What has Goran Kropp been doing on Mount Everest?

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

3. What does Krakauer say about the condition of Scott Fischer as he sees him coming up to the summit as well?

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

5. Which two people are in the picture Krakauer takes when he gets to the summit?

6. Why does Sir Edmund Hillary criticize Rob Hall and similar Everest guides?

7. After whom was Mount Everest named after?

8. Who does Krakauer idolize from his own town, as related to his own hiking love?

9. What is Krakauer alarmed to see other climbers doing as they prepare their equipment for their first acclimatization climb?

10. Describe the character of Mike Groom.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Even with all of the possible ways that the trip up Mount Everest in the spring of 1996 could have been better, the events still seem to have been the most likely outcome.

Part 1: How could the hikers have better planned for weather conditions? Could they have done anything or was this truly out of their control?

Part 2: How might the health problems have been addressed better? Or were these events simply out of everyone's control as well?

Part 3: Does this trip seem 'cursed' from the start? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

With the teams, there seems to be trouble brewing between some of the guides and the leaders. This is thought to be another contributing factor to the tragic events.

Part 1: How did Anatoli's absence affect Fischer's team?

Part 2: In what ways did other guides affect their teams? For example, what might Beidleman have done better to help his team?

Part 3: What is crucial in the formation of a team like this? What would have been the ideal situations for the leaders and the guides?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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