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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 types of whales does Leif see in "Current Sliding"?

2. What does Leif consider and then reject eating in "Changes; Skin to Wood to Water to Become"?

3. In "The Cook Camp," what does Leif dream of?

4. In "Dream Story," how many salmon does Leif catch when he finds a small gravel beach with a stream?

5. What does Leif think his mother would do if he could ever see her?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Leif make a shelter in "Cook Camp"?

2. What is one way Leif learns to get across waves by studying the dolphins?

3. In "Ice," what happens when Leif comes to a small island well offshore and stays there for three days?

4. In "Dancing GIants," why does Leif have to tie the canoe off and hang and rest?

5. How does Leif fashion a drying rack for his salmon?

6. In "Cook Camp," what does Leif see when he wakes?

7. Why does Leif turn around and go south?

8. What is the island like that Leif choses for his cook camp?

9. In "Dream Story," how does Leif time his departure from the ice wall?

10. What does Leif remember his life was like on the many ships where he had worked?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What a reader knows about events and characters is determined by the point of view in a book. What is the point of view in Northwind? How does the point of view influence what readers know about Leif and events? How does it help readers connect with and understand Leif and other characters?

Essay Topic 2

Leif encounters many dangers on his trip north. What are some dangers he encounters? How does he deal with those dangers? What does he learn about dealing with dangers, and how does that knowledge help him survive?

Essay Topic 3

Foreshadowing is a method authors use to hint at events to come in a novel. How does Paulsen use foreshadowing in Northwind? Does the use of foreshadowing create suspense?

(see the answer keys)

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