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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. According to the Chomolungma chapter, how far of a hike was it from the standing camp and the high camp?

2. Instead of returning to the base camp after leaving the Four Dragon Village in the Rongbuk chapter, Messner's group took a detour. Where did the group overnight?

3. When Messner and his team finally set off on July 13 from the base camp, how many yaks were carrying Messner's supplies?

4. For the 1975 Chinese expedition to Mount Everest, who was symbolically named the expedition leader?

5. How many women who were part of the 1975 Chinese expedition were able to reach heights of more than 8000 meters?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the Tibetan chapter, what three topics did the interpreter assigned to Messner and Nena continually ask about?

2. As the expedition rested at the start of the East Rongbuk Glacier in the North Col chapter, Nena wrote in her diary that she was disillusioned with humanity. Why?

3. Why is the summer monsoon of extraordinary importance for the people of India and Nepal?

4. As Messner studied the North Col, what did he hope would hold true based on the sixteen year weather cycle?

5. Why were Nena and Messner surprised when they reached their small intermediate camp in the Chomolungma chapter?

6. As Nena and Messner camped for the night at the Rongbuk river just at the edge of a village while waiting for the water to go down enough to safely cross the river in the Rongbuk chapter, what did Nena write that her big mistake of the night was?

7. When climbing in the Chomolungma chapter, what function did the rest pause serve for Messner?

8. Describe what a monsoon is.

9. In the Tibetan chapter, why did Uemura want to scale Mount Everest in the winter?

10. In the Tibetan chapter, what were the two kinds of money Messner described during his time in Peking?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

There is no doubt that Messner had been greatly affected by the disappearance of George Mallory years earlier as Mallory attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Discuss how Mallory's disappearance affected not only Messner's worldview but also his decisions as he attempted his solo climb of Everest. How did Mallory affect Messner's mental state, his ability to persevere, and his ability to climb?

Essay Topic 3

Messner believed that true mountaineering meant playing "fair" and not using technological aids.

a. Explain Messner's reasoning behind why using technological aids was akin to cheating.

b. Identify the technological aids Messner did and did not use during his solo ascent of Mount Everest.

c. Did Messner's use of two technological aids make his ascent to the summit of Mount Everest any less impressive?

(see the answer keys)

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