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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 is waiting for Fischer when he reaches the Everest summit because he feels indebted to him?

2. Which climber is found to be still breathing, but very near death. much to the surprise of everyone?

3. Who was killed in an avalanche on Everest the next year?

4. Who finally goes on to attach the lines that are necessary to allow the climbers up the mountain?

5. What does Lopsang give to Fischer to help him feel better?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Brashears radio into camp as many of the climbers are at Camp Two?

2. What risks go up as the oxygen in Krakauer's tank begins to decrease?

3. When Hall doesn't tell his group when they will be turning back when they reach the summit, what does Krakauer interpret this to mean?

4. Why does Krakauer move quickly on his way up to Camp Three?

5. Why does Pittman fall to the ground as they are approaching the summit?

6. Why does Mike Groom give Krakauer his tank of oxygen?

7. What has happened to Weathers, according to Hutchison's discovery?

8. What does Hutchison tell Krakauer which surprises him?

9. What is the eventual fate of Anatoli Bourkeev?

10. What are the physical effects of Weathers' miraculous rescue and recovery from Everest?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

John Krakauer is the author of this book and a skilled hiker, though not with higher elevations. This is actually the case with many of the members of his team.

Part 1: Describe Krakauer's feelings about the inexperience of his team at the beginning of the story.

Part 2: What does Krakauer think of the hikers as the climbing continues? Does he feel more confident or less confident?

Part 3: Does this seem like a team that should have been going up Mount Everest? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The leaders of the teams, Scott Fischer and Rob Hall, were very experienced climbers on Mount Everest. At the same time, their eventual demise shows they were just as powerless over the mountain.

Part 1: Describe the character of Rob Hall. What was he like? What makes him a strong and a weak leader?

Part 2: Describe the character of Scott Fischer. What was he like? What makes him a strong and a weak leader?

Part 3: Compare and contrast these two figures. How are they alike and how are their different?

Essay Topic 3

Anatoli Bourkeev is a person who might be considered a strong hiker, as he was also a guide on the trip to the summit. However, he does not always act in a way that seems to support his role.

Part 1: Describe the character of Anatoli Bourkeev.

Part 2: What kind of hiker and guide is Anatoli Bourkeev? How does this differ from other guides on the trip?

Part 3: In what ways does Anatoli Bourkeev help the hikers? In what ways does he harm the hikers?

(see the answer keys)

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