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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At what age did Jack London quit school to work in a cannery and as a longshoreman?
(a) 16
(b) 12
(c) 14
(d) 17

2. Mercury was the son of what god in Roman mythology?
(a) Apollo
(b) Neptune
(c) Mars
(d) Jupiter

3. The man is described as speaking in what way to the dog in Part V, meaning leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal?
(a) Peremptorily
(b) Angrily
(c) Lovingly
(d) Pleadingly

4. The protagonist recalls the tale of a man who was caught in a blizzard and killed what before climbing into the carcass in Part V?
(a) A horse
(b) A caribou
(c) A musk ox
(d) A steer

5. After falling through the ice, the protagonist believes this mishap will delay him for how long in reaching his destination?
(a) 45 minutes
(b) 1 hour
(c) 20 minutes
(d) 2 hours

6. How is death described in the protagonist’s thoughts and fears in Part V?
(a) Sharp and fateful
(b) Painful and final
(c) Powerful and liberating
(d) Dull and oppressive

7. How many times does the protagonist strike the match before lighting it in Part V?
(a) 8
(b) 15
(c) 20
(d) 3

8. Which word from Part IV means to draw back; start or shrink back, as in alarm, horror, or disgust?
(a) Recoil
(b) Flounder
(c) Manipulation
(d) Success

9. When the protagonist’s second fire fails, he decides to attempt to do what with the dog?
(a) Kill it
(b) Send it for help
(c) Feed it
(d) Follow it

10. The protagonist agitates the tree above him every time he does what in Part V?
(a) Saws off a branch
(b) Yells at the dog
(c) Lays against the trunk
(d) Pulls a twig

11. Which word from Part V means adequate for the purpose?
(a) Success
(b) Wistful
(c) Apathetic
(d) Sufficient

12. What simile occurs to the protagonist regarding his behavior in panicking in Part VI?
(a) Going dark like a grand eclipse
(b) Running around like a chicken with its head cut off
(c) Burning like a meteor
(d) Like shooting fish in a barrel

13. To Build a Fireis considered to be a reflection of Jack London’s own experiences where?
(a) Nova Scotia
(b) Northern Alaska
(c) The Northwestern Yukon Territory
(d) Norway

14. The protagonist thinks to himself in Part IV, “All a man had to do was” what “and he was all right”?
(a) Keep his head
(b) Pay attention
(c) Remember his training
(d) Work with nature

15. The dog goes to find what in the end of the story?
(a) The companionship of other dogs
(b) Other food-providers and fire-providers
(c) Shelter in the forest
(d) A new owner in town

Short Answer Questions

1. An earlier version of To Build a Firewas first printed in The Youth’s Companion in which year?

2. Which word used to describe the protagonist in Part V means having or showing little or no emotion?

3. Part V of the story marks what point in the plot structure?

4. The protagonist begins by feeding the fire with twigs the size of what in Part IV?

5. How many matches go up in flame at once in Part V?

(see the answer keys)

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