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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. Who was the first person to ever want to scale Mount Everest alone?

2. Who had a special camera with him on expeditions in 1922 and 1924?

3. In 1924, what was the altitude reached by the British climber who set a record for the highest altitude reached climbing without oxygen?

4. When Messner was questioned by the tourists at the hotel in the early pages of the Mount Everest-Fairytale and Reality chapter, what did Messner say was a constant companion while climbing a mountain?

5. What was the name of the woman that Messner was married to?

Short Essay Questions

1. When the climbing team reached Syangpoche in the early pages of the Mount Everest-Fairytale and Reality chapter, they were unsuccessful in completing their task. What was their task and why were they unsuccessful?

2. Describe what the oxygen apparatus of the 1920's looked like.

3. What made Messner's ascent of the Abruzzi Ridge different from that of previous mountaineers?

4. As the book opens, what reason did Mallory give when asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest a second time?

5. When Messner referred to "fair means" in climbing in the Mount Everest-Fairytale and Reality chapter, what was he referring to?

6. How did Messner describe the region of Solo Khumba in the early pages of the Mount Everest-Fairytale and Reality chapter?

7. Upon reading the article in the "Peking Review" in the Kanchung chapter, what became immediately clear to Messner?

8. According to Messner in the early pages of the Mount Everest-Fairytale and Reality chapter, why was Oelz depressed as the team packed for their trip to Syangpoche?

9. According to Messner in the Mount Everest-Fairytale and Reality chapter, why was each hour of each day so precious to the second British expedition to Mount Everest?

10. In the Kanchung chapter, what did the article Messner read in the "Peking Review" state?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the course of the book, the traditions and culture of the Tibetan people were described. Identify at least three different traditions of the Tibetan people that Messner revealed in the book as well as Messner's reasoning for sharing this information with the reader. How might the book have been impacted if these traditions had not been shared?

Essay Topic 2

Compare Reinhold Messner and George Mallory.

a. How were these two men similar? How were they different?

b. Compare the role that mountaineering played in each of their lives. How was each person affected by mountaineering, both positively and negatively?

Essay Topic 3

Messner visited a number of interesting and unique places as he traveled throughout the land. Pick any three places Messner visited and describe each place in detail. Then, compare these three places that you've chosen in terms of village layouts, talents and skills of the native people, and the characteristics of the inhabitants of each land.

(see the answer keys)

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