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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. What does Henning do to his copy of Izaak Walton's book?
(a) He throws it into the river.
(b) He burns it.
(c) He puts it up on a high shelf.
(d) He puts it on Ma's nightstand, so she will always see it.

2. What does Gus do to the boy that they call Barf-breath?
(a) He puts fish in his lunch.
(b) He puts fish in his home aquarium.
(c) He puts fish in the puddle of their driveway.
(d) He puts crawdads in his salad.

3. How does Carolina make GC feel better about her grandson fishing on Sundays?
(a) Carolina stops Gus from fishing on Sundays.
(b) Carolina compares fishing to church.
(c) Carolina gives CG some bourbon.
(d) Carolina makes GC a big Sunday supper.

4. Who/what is Nijinsky as mentioned in Chapter 1?
(a) Henning's brother.
(b) A fishing rod.
(c) The steelhead Hen is trying to catch.
(d) Carolina's nickname.

5. What allusion does Gus make to his reading of The Compleat Angler as many times as he did?
(a) A historian to world history.
(b) Moses to the commandments.
(c) Mozart to sheet music.
(d) An English teacher to Shakespeare.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Gus say of devoted people in "Excerpts from the God-notebook"?

2. What happens to Gus on the Fourth of July?

3. What gift does Henning give to Gus for the cabin?

4. How does Henning earn his living?

5. How does the editor say that the carp got into the parking lot "lake" one spring?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Izaak Walton's book about according to Ma? (Describe specific tales from it that she tells)

2. How does Gus believe that he became a fishing prodigy?

3. Why is Gus searching for the answer to death?

4. How does Gus react during the argument at dinner when he realizes that his parents only care about their own argument and not the story he is telling?

5. How does Gus describe his parents' relationship?

6. How does Gus decide that the great controversy of his parents isn't really about fishing at all?

7. How does the "Rogue River War" create a stronger bond between Carolina and Henning rather than breaking them apart due to their differences?

8. How does Henning wrongfully convince himself that Izaak Walton's book is the bible of fly-fishing?

9. In what ways does Ma use her shotgun and what does this say about her and the way she raises her children?

10. What is the story of the Garbage Gut bass and why is catching him an anticlimax for Gus?

(see the answer keys)

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