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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Chapter 3, Dillard stalks a bird along the iced over creek. What kind of bird was it?
(a) blue jay
(b) robin
(c) coot
(d) duck

2. What does Dillard say about humans and change?
(a) humans believe change is necessary
(b) humans believe stability if good
(c) humans abhor statis
(d) humans hate change

3. How does Dillard believe the seeking of God takes place?
(a) God is everywhere but the best place to seek is in church
(b) Singing in the shower
(c) the seeking of God is a continuous loop, which never ends
(d) God is in nature

4. When a scientist disrupted pine caterpillars' food trail, what happened?
(a) half of caterpillars made a new trail off to the right
(b) they stopped, and stayed still until they died
(c) the caterpillars could not restart a new trail
(d) they turned around and followed their trail back home

5. In addition to form and texture, what does the author believe influences beauty?
(a) perception
(b) time of day
(c) color
(d) time

6. In Chapter 5 Dillard writes about finding a snake. What appeared peculiar about the snake?
(a) it had two heads
(b) it was pure white
(c) it was tied in a knot
(d) it had a outer and inner skin

7. What is the literal act of seeing?
(a) opening the eyes and looking straight ahead
(b) using binoculars to see a great distance
(c) learning how to spot the different wildlife
(d) watching for movement in the clouds

8. Why did Dillard name this chapter "Seeing?"
(a) because she has found out some blind people regain their sight
(b) because she discusses the loss of sight
(c) she knows that to discover and understand she must be able to see
(d) because she believes to see she has to understand

9. Dillard wrote, "the present is fleet." What did she mean by this statement?
(a) the present is like a group of ships
(b) the present goes by so quick one can barely glimpse it
(c) the present is the future
(d) there is no present

10. Why do the male praying mantis come near the female?
(a) he has a chemical in his abdomen that encourages him
(b) the female is bigger and stronger and makes him
(c) the male is born to be the mate of a certain femal
(d) the females have a long, whip-like appendage that grabs the male

11. What does Dillard believe about nature and change?
(a) nature does not change, or changes extremely slow
(b) change in nature is sporatic and unpredictable
(c) nature is constantly changing
(d) nature changes quickly

12. What does Dillard suggest is a similarity between her and plankton?
(a) they are both unaware of what they're doing
(b) they both live alone
(c) they both live in or near Tinker Creek
(d) they both carry stuff on their back

13. When Dillard moves from describing details of creation to trying to understand more about creation what is she doing?
(a) moving from logic to mysticism
(b) moving from what to why
(c) getting a little strange
(d) trying to think too much

14. How does Dillard see time?
(a) as a maze of days
(b) as a continuous loop or an ascending spiral
(c) as being too long when waiting
(d) as an arrow through space

15. Dillard writes that she is an avid collector of what?
(a) snake skins
(b) feathers
(c) facts and ideas
(d) strange insects

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the author believe about acts of physical courage?

2. Why does the author think nature experiments with insects' shape, form and "niche?"

3. She claims the ability to see what is hidden is what?

4. When Dillard raps on the goldfish bowl, what does the fish do?

5. What does the animal in question #1 do to to get Dillard's attention?

(see the answer keys)

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