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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Approximately how thick is the fifth layer of the Grand Canyon?
(a) 500 feet.
(b) 50 feet.
(c) 200 feet.
(d) 1000 feet.

2. Why does Fletcher say it might have been good that he didn't start his journey right after he decided to take it?
(a) It gave him time to fully recover from the flu.
(b) It gave him time to get the nerve together for the dangerous trip.
(c) The time helped him test the idea to see whether or not he really wanted to do it.
(d) It gave him more time to say goodbye to his family.

3. What did Fletcher pass and nearly miss altogether in "Chapter 4, Challenge?"
(a) The trail through the ravine.
(b) The first air drop of supplies.
(c) The only fresh water for miles.
(d) The gap in the pass.

4. How does Fletcher describe the state of the Grand Canyon at the time the book was written?
(a) A dying canyon.
(b) Still changing.
(c) Nearing destruction in a few years.
(d) Finished changing.

5. Fletcher says while studying the Grand Canyon he realized the silence there was not a timeless one as he first thought. How does he define it instead?
(a) "A silence built of the seconds that had ticked away, eon after eon."
(b) "A silence of the future."
(c) "A silence established by an abundance of rock."
(d) "Not a silence at all but the beautiful noise of nature."

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Fletcher say he knew as soon as he saw the Grand Canyon?

2. What material makes up the seventh layer of the Grand Canyon?

3. What is the current age estimate of the sixth layer of the Grand Canyon?

4. What were two things Fletcher mentions could have made parts of his path impassable?

5. What is the current age estimate of the fourth layer of the Grand Canyon?

Short Essay Questions

1. At the beginning of "Chapter 5, Transition," Fletcher details how the airdrop has affected him. Describe this realization.

2. What decision did Fletcher make in regard to obtaining information about the Canyon before his trip and why did he make this decision?

3. Briefly describe the event that sparked Fletcher's desire to travel through the Grand Canyon alone.

4. What did William Wallace Bass establish in the Grand Canyon, and how did it come about?

5. Who drove Fletcher to the starting point of his trip into the Canyon? Where was he from and how did he interact with and help Fletcher at the beginning of his journey?

6. Shortly after beginning his journey, Fletcher found himself standing still on a rock platform over Hualpai Canyon. What did he notice while standing there?

7. At the very beginning of the Epilogue, what does Fletcher say might happen if man is not careful?

8. At the end of the Epilogue are two updates. One is about information from "Part I, The Place." What is this update?

9. Several incidents surrounded the time Fletcher spent with David Powell in "Chapter 9, Man" Describe one of these incidents.

10. Where did Fletcher decide to spend the last two weeks of his trip. What did he call the place, and what did he plan to learn there?

(see the answer keys)

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