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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 gift does Capt. John Nye have?

2. What is Twain examining in Roughing It?

3. In the story the narrator tells, how is Hank Monk taken to his destination?

4. How many people live in Carson City?

5. What does Capt. John Nye help the narrator's party find?

Short Essay Questions

1. What causes the narrator to work for a Quartz mill and how does his employment there end?

2. What is the weather like in Unionville and what does the narrator find there?

3. What role does the press play in the mining industry of Nevada and how does it affect the narrator?

4. How does the narrator live past the cold night, and what is ironic about the crew's actions afterward?

5. What is the economy of Salt Lake City like, and how long do the travelers stay there?

6. Who accompanies the narrator on his trip to Humboldt County, and how does the first two hundred miles of their expedition go?

7. What are the limitations of the stage coach that is going to Carson City, Nevada, and which items does the narrator take with him?

8. What causes the narrator to marvel at the sight of the Rocky Mountains?

9. How does the narrator describe the Goshoot Indians?

10. How long is the Prefatory in Roughing It, and what is its purpose?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Humor and satire are used to depict the dire situation of the narrator and his crew as they are trapped in a snow storm.

1) Describe the actions of the narrator and his party as they prepare to face almost certain death after being lost in the snow.

2) What is the irony about the location of their camp and their actions once they are saved?

3) How does the author use humor in the situation and what is the satirical point he is making with it?

Essay Topic 2

Describe Mark Twain's objectives of writing Roughing It. Use the information in the Prefatory to explain his reasons for chronicling his adventures and the style he intends to use in the book. Then, provide examples that display how Twain accomplishes his objectives on multiple levels.

Essay Topic 3

The author's tone in Roughing It changes throughout the book to reflect the narrator's journey. Analyze how Twain changes slightly between a humorous narrative and an informative reporting style of writing. Use the entire book to provide examples of which chapters feature each style, why the style was chosen for them, and how both styles contribute to the effectiveness of the story in general.

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