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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. How many salmon does Leif catch in "Ice"?

2. In "Dream Story," what word is on the paddle Leif finds?

3. In "Heartbeat; Sea Pulse," what type of wood does Leif use to make a replacement paddle?

4. As Leif tries to navigate around the whales in "Dancing Giants," what does he find himself hanging onto?

5. What birds does Leif decide do not have specific territories?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. In "Changes; Skin to Wood to Water to Become," what does Leif determine to do after his encounter with the bear?

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

4. How does Leif try to pull away from the whirlpool, and how successful is he?

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

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

7. In "Ice," what does Leif remember about Old Carl?

8. What does Leif hear and have happen when he spots a fjord in "Ice"?

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

10. How does Leif get trapped among jumping whales, and how does he get free in "Dancing Giants"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Metaphors and similes are figures of speech that are used to make comparisons between things. Metaphors seem to imply an equal comparison, while similes seem to imply a similarity between two things. Does Paulsen use more metaphors or similes in Northwind? How does the use of metaphors or similes help readers comprehend concepts? How does the use of metaphors or similes help make the writing more interesting?

Essay Topic 2

Leif has several encounters with orca whales. What encounters does Leif have with whales? What does he discover about the dangers of interaction with whales? How does he learn to coexist with whales?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,051 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample