View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Cowboy Dashee trying to do?

2. Where does Chandler position himself?

3. What does Chandler do when Joanna passes his hiding place?

4. What is the first thing Bernie sees as she looks in the cave/rain slot?

5. What do Chandler and Joanna decide?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is Bernie's assurance about Chandler highly ironic in the scheme of the history of Native Americans?

2. What theme seems to come to fruition in this chapter?

3. How does Chee view the Colorado river?

4. Do you see any difference between Chandler and Joanna at this point; after all, she agrees to a "partnership" with him?

5. In Chapter 18, the Arizona death penalty is again mentioned as a reason to make a murder look accidental; does this seem like something a criminal would really be thinking?

6. What do you think may be Chandler's ultimate end in this saga?

7. What do you think Joanna's decision to continue down to the canyon floor indicates?

8. What do you think is the purpose in Chapter 15 of the narrator reiterating many facts already known to the reader?

9. In Chapter 21, why do you think Chee is alarmed that none of the tracks comes back out of the canyon?

10. When the old Hopi woman warns Bernie that she shouldn't be there, the woman then warms up to her; why do you think this is?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Chapter 2, Joe reflects on his boredom since retirement, upon the idea of mortality, and at having lost some many friends to that mortality. Choose one of the following and write a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. What do you think are the causes of Joe's boredom? Do you think he is so one-sided that he cannot find other things that interest him besides police work? Do you think that is psychologically healthy? Do you know of anyone who after retiring seems to mope around and is bored? Explain their situation. What would you say to them? Would you say the same to Joe?

2. The old Shaman man seems to never have retired from his "job" as Shaman--not until he dies. The Shaman is what is job is--in other words, if you ask him who he is, he might reply "I am the Shaman for the tribe." If you ask him what he does, he would probably say the same thing. Western culture tends to separate who one is with what one does; whereas, aboriginal cultures blur the boundaries more. Compare and contrast the two ways of identification. State possible advantages and disadvantages of both ways.

3. It is an oft-recorded phenomenon that some men (and occasionally women) will retire and then die fairly soon thereafter, even if they are healthy when they retire. Discuss this idea fully giving your thoughts about it as well as researching the idea and presenting what experts say.

Essay Topic 2

Chapter 13 gives the readers an astonishing view of Joanna Craig when she shoots Sherman in cold blood. Answer the following questions by writing a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Does Joanna's action of shooting Sherman come as a surprise? Why or why not? Do you think the action is justified? Do you think she can be held legally responsible?

2. What would you have done in Joanna's place? The same thing? Something different? Do you think Joanna intended to kill Sherman?

3. Sherman recovers from his gunshot wound and is unwilling to say who shoots him. Why do you think he does this? Is it merely chauvinism as Joe suggests? Since Sherman refuses to point the finger at Joanne, she gets off scot free. Is this fair? Are you glad or outraged? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

In Chapter 4, Chandler brings up the idea of "birthright." Answer the following questions by writing a well-developed, cohesive essay using examples from the text and your research or personal experience:

1. Research the term "birthright," and define it and give examples. How has the concept of "birthright" changed over the centuries?

2. Do you agree with Chandler that he should have all his material wants fulfilled because of having been born in a wealthy family? Should anyone born into a wealthy family be supplied with everything s/he wants? Why or why not?

3. What are other things one gets by "birthright"? What have you received by birthright? Are you happy with all of it? (Think of the term birthright in very broad ways). Can you change any circumstances that are yours by birthright? How would you do so?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,441 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample