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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. When Messner and Nena were reunited on the glacier, what was Messner's reaction?

2. 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, what did Nena write that she felt like?

3. When Nena first asked Messner to go for a walk with him to explore the area around the base camp at the beginning of the North Col chapter, what was Messner doing that he did not want to stop?

4. What does Potala mean?

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. According to Messner in the Chomolungma chapter, why would an attempt to preplan his solo climb be madness?

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

3. According to the North Col chapter, what was Messner's strongest experience when climbing?

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

5. In the Tibet chapter, what was Nena's egotistical reason for not wanting Messner to take the walkie-talkie with him for his summit attempt?

6. How did Messner react in the Chomolungma chapter when he escaped the crevasse alive?

7. In the North Col chapter, why did Nena decide to change her socks just as Messner said he was ready to go for their walk?

8. Describe what a monsoon is.

9. What was the reaction of the world when the Chinese government announced that a Chinese expedition had successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1960?

10. During the Cultural Revolution, what were the "Four Ancients" that the Chinese tried to destroy?

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

Compare Reinhold Messner's experiences on Mount Everest during his first summit attempt when he was part of an expedition team and during his second summit attempt when he was climbing solo. What changed for Messner between his first and second ascents? What lessons had Messner learned during his first attempt that he applied to his second attempt? Would Messner have been successful climbing solo if he had not already reached the summit as part of a group?

Essay Topic 3

Reinhold Messner seemed to be a man who was supremely confident in his ability to succeed. Identify at least three instances from the book that highlighted his confidence. How was Messner helped by his confidence? How was Messner hurt by his confidence?

(see the answer keys)

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