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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What role did the granite rock have in constructing dwellings?
(a) They used it to sharpen their knives so they could chop trees for their housing.
(b) They chipped at the granite to make wall coverings.
(c) It gave them a foundation.
(d) It acted as a wall and chimney.

2. How did Mary Murphy feel after her ordeal?
(a) She was eager to move on.
(b) She felt as if she had nothing to live for.
(c) She was very grateful to survive.
(d) She felt like they deserved what they went through.

3. Why was it a little difficult to read Virginia's letter?
(a) Her spelling skills were terrible.
(b) The ink smudged.
(c) She wrote in Spanish.
(d) The paper was torn and mildewed.

4. Where did George and Jacob Donner and their families camp?
(a) At Tuskegee Lake
(b) At the summit
(c) At Alder Creek
(d) In California

5. Who was the first snowshoer to die?
(a) Mary Ann Graves
(b) Charles Stanton
(c) Lem Murphy
(d) William Eddy

6. How did the native Americans help the snow shoers?
(a) They gave them maps to California.
(b) They carried them back to the camp.
(c) They fed them pine nuts and acorn bread.
(d) They went and got help for them.

7. How did James Reed revive Patty?
(a) He gave her crumbs he stored in his mitten.
(b) He rubbed cold snow on her face.
(c) He yelled at her and smacked her.
(d) He performed CPR on her.

8. What is cannibalism?
(a) When you are overly aggressive
(b) A type of disease that infects children
(c) The eating of human flesh
(d) When you only eat soup

9. What did the survivors do with the buckskin strings from the rescue party's snowshoes?
(a) They stole them and ate them.
(b) They held them reverently.
(c) They used them to tie up their remaining belongings.
(d) They used them to tie the tent flap together so they wouldn't be cold any longer.

10. Who did Mrs. Murphy say they ought to eat?
(a) No-one
(b) Towser
(c) Charles
(d) Milt

11. How did Mary Murphy's first husband treat her?
(a) He beat her.
(b) He expected her to work hard all the time.
(c) He spoiled her.
(d) He doted on her and wouldn't let her work.

12. What was Louis Keseberg notorious for?
(a) Robbing the others
(b) Starting fights
(c) Possibly killing Tamsen Donner
(d) Killing Charles Stanton

13. How close were the dwellings to each other?
(a) They deliberately built their dwellings a fair distance apart from each other.
(b) They had room enough for campfires between the buildings.
(c) They put several miles between buildings.
(d) They attached their dwellings to each other.

14. When did Mary Murphy get married?
(a) Within a year of her rescue
(b) Within a week of her rescue
(c) Nine months after her rescue
(d) Within a month of her rescue

15. What did the rescuers tell the survivors about Forlorn Hope?
(a) They were all fine with no problems.
(b) They died.
(c) They were detained due to badly frostbitten feet.
(d) They were lost.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who was the unofficial leader of the snowshoers?

2. How did Victoria react to the cannibalism?

3. What did William Graves believe about when the group's troubles began?

4. What did Mary Ann Graves become?

5. How did Virginia feel about losing the Pioneer Palace Car?

(see the answer keys)

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