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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 is the year in which the story begins?

2. Who offers to give Ray his old sleeping bag cover?

3. What does Ray take off when he finally sits down for a rest?

4. To what city does Ray buy a bus ticket after he sleeps in a ditch several miles outside of Los Angeles?

5. Where is the other bum from, as Ray finds out during their conversation?

Short Essay Questions

1. How will Japhy and Ray find their way along the mountain trail, according to Japhy?

2. Describe the way Japhy decides to descend the mountain.

3. What does the bum tell Ray to do in order to cure arthritis?

4. How does Ray feel once they have reached a higher point of elevation as they hike up to Matterhorn?

5. What does Ray decide to do once the rest of the family is in bed asleep?

6. Where does Ray decide to sleep once he arrives at his mother's house?

7. What kinds of stores do Japhy and Ray go to in order to find the best hiking equipment?

8. What does Ray seem to believe about the ideas of Buddhism and Christianity?

9. What does Ray ask Japhy to help him do once Ray receives money?

10. What does Ray notice about Los Angeles as he rides the bus to Riverside?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In a sense, one could say that Japhy and Ray are 'fighting' a war against the traditional culture and the way 'normal' people live their lives.

Part 1: Describe the culture Japhy and Ray want to oppose in the way they live their lives.

Part 2: Why do Japhy and Ray oppose the way one particular class lives their lives?

Part 3: What do you think Japhy and Ray see as the best possible way of living one's life?

Essay Topic 2

Ray states that one of the most important traits one can have is to give to others, yet he does not always seem to be able to do this. Japhy, on the other hand, seems to be quite willing and able to give of himself.

Part 1: Why does Ray think charity is the most important virtues?

Part 2: In what ways does Ray bring charity into his own life?

Part 3: In what ways is Japhy able to bring charity into his life as well as into Ray's life?

Essay Topic 3

At times, Ray seems to be almost a student of Japhy's, listening to everything he says and watching everything Japhy does.

Part 1: What does Ray want to learn from Japhy at the beginning of the manuscript?

Part 2: Is Japhy comfortable with the role of being a teacher? Why or why not?

Part 3: What does Japhy have to learn from Ray, as the story progresses?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 676 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample