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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. Where does Old Carl send Leif and Little Carl when the men get sick?

2. In "Whales," what does Leif smell when a whale gets close?

3. In "Whale Song" when Leif cuts a willow, how tall does it cut it?

4. What is Leif's canoe made of?

5. In "Whale Song," what direction does Leif travel?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does a mother whale do when she tires of her young ones playing with the canoe in "Mother Waters and Brother Whales"?

2. When Leif becomes old enough to walk, what does he become?

3. In "Mother Waters and Brother Whales," what is the breathing that Leif senses?

4. What does Leif see in "Whales"?

5. Who is Little Carl?

6. What is Leif's condition at the beginning of "Mother Waters and Brother Whales"?

7. In "Whales," what happens when Leif laughs while he watches the young whales?

8. How does Leif get Little Carl's body out of the canoe?

9. How does Leif bury Little Carl's body?

10. In "Whale Song," how does Leif break camp?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Old Carl packs supplies to send with Leif. What do those supplies reveal about Old Carl’s feelings for Leif?

Essay Topic 2

Imagery is a literary device authors use to describe something using the five senses to help readers experience what a character is experiencing. How does Paulsen use imagery to help readers imagine the world he has created in Northwind?

Essay Topic 3

Leif was basically a slave on the ships where he worked. How would you compare Leif’s old life to his new life? How does his new life make him independent and the master of his own destiny?

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