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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. Why does Castaneda feel embarrassed on the second night of the peyote ceremony?

2. The worlds of ______ and men overlap, but a crack opens and closes between them.

3. What does Castaneda realize he has forgotten after spending 90 minutes searching for the lizards?

4. Castaneda is profoundly distressed for hours, a common occurrence among those who lack _____________.

5. Castaneda must learn to ___________ like a crow, which is difficult, but not painful.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why doesn't Matus need to smoke much anymore, though he still makes a new mixture each year?

2. What convinces Matus that the weed likes Castaneda?

3. Describe how Castaneda feels after smoking the mixture in Matus' pipe.

4. Why does Matus believe the Devil's Weed must like Castaneda very much?

5. Where does Castaneda wake up during his last night of smoking the mixture?

6. What does Castaneda do when he realizes the figure walking out of the house is not his mentor?

7. Describe the details of Castaneda's final encounter with Mescalito.

8. What do Matus and Castaneda do with the gray jelly while the second portion is prepared?

9. What does Matus tell Castaneda the next day after Castaneda has fallen asleep during the smoking?

10. Describe what happens to Castaneda on the first night of his peyote ceremony.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The lessons Castaneda learns during this story are many, both from the medicines he takes and the discussions with Matus.

Part 1: List at least three lessons Castaneda has learned from his work with Matus.

Part 2: How has Castaneda changed as a person since beginning the work with Matus?

Part 3: Do you think Castaneda is forever changed by his experiences? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

One of the things many readers question about the book Castaneda writes is its validity. After all, the reader is not there to see whether these events actually took place.

Part 1: Cite some details in the story that might make a reader question the truthfulness of this story.

Part 2: Cite some details in the story that might make a reader more convinced the events actually took place.

Part 3: Does it matter if the events in the story actually happened? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

In the world around them, Matus and Castaneda become aware of signs and signals that tell them whether or not they are on the right path.

Part 1: Cite three examples of signs Matus and Castaneda see in the world around them. What do they mean?

Part 2: Why do you think Matus trusts nature so much to tell him what he needs to know?

Part 3: In what ways do people today look to nature to help them make decisions about their lives?

(see the answer keys)

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