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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 secretes digestive acids that want to dissolve Castaneda?

2. What does Castaneda do when he walks out into the field of peyote on the last night of the ceremony?

3. Normally, says Matus, only great _________ return from such journeys as Castaneda had.

4. Two days after Castaneda's lizard ceremony, what does he report to Matus?

5. How many buttons does Mescalito tell Castaneda to consume after Castaneda calls the name Mescalito has given him?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Why must Castaneda blink many times during his recollection of being a crow?

3. What convinces Matus that the weed likes Castaneda?

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

5. What does Castaneda recall after already spending 90 minutes looking for lizards?

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

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

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

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

10. What does Matus provide for Castaneda as they read themselves to test Devil's Weed again?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story, Castaneda is slowly led to the answers he is looking for, through the careful instruction by Matus. At times, the lessons are quite difficult and at other times, they can seem like common sense.

Part 1: Describe the process in which Castaneda has to collect the ingredients to make his own smoke.

Part 2: Why is it important for Castaneda to learn this long and drawn out process?

Part 3: Why do you think the process of learning about smoke mixture creation is so long and detailed?

Essay Topic 2

The sewing of the lizards is a harsh scene in the book.

Part 1: Describe the sewing of the lizards and why this is done in the story.

Part 2: Wouldn't this harming of the animals be hurting nature and somehow not being grateful to it? Isn't this in direct opposition to the way Matus treats the rest of the gifts of nature?

Part 3: What was your reaction to the images of the lizards? Did you believe this to actually have happened?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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