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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 Krakauer handed when he arrives in Base Camp, causing him to sit down and realize just what he has been through?

2. Whose death has become a national story in his country?

3. Which climbers were found ill, but alive, although no one stopped to help them?

4. In what month is Krakauer's article about the trip published in Outside?

5. Who radios in that he is very tired when he is at the summit, then complains about how he doesn't feel well?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Krakauer realize about the hiker he thought to be Harris?

2. What happens to Krakauer and other climbers from Hall's group when they fly back to Katmandu?

3. What does Gau do in violation of his promise?

4. What does Krakauer notice about the air in Seattle?

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

6. What items was Krakauer going to take out of his pack when he got to the summit, although he decides not to once he is there?

7. What does Groom say about the tanks of oxygen at the South Summit, even though Harris was mistaken about this fact?

8. What does Hutchison tell Krakauer which surprises him?

9. What does Krakauer observe about Beidleman?

10. What does Krakauer tell Hutchison to do?

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

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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