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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. Where does the dog go in the end of the story?
(a) Into the mountains
(b) Toward the springs
(c) Toward the camp
(d) Down the river

2. According to the narrator in Part V, there had been no what for weeks?
(a) Animals
(b) Clouds
(c) Rain
(d) Wind

3. What is portrayed as the antagonist in To Build a Fire?
(a) Fire
(b) The dog
(c) Nature
(d) The old-timer

4. What is the old-timer doing when the protagonist envisions him as he dies in Part VI?
(a) Hunting moose
(b) Smoking a pipe
(c) Panning for gold
(d) Reading a book

5. Which word from Part IV means inanimate or dead?
(a) Meditation
(b) Lifeless
(c) Regal
(d) Jovial

Short Answer Questions

1. When did a man from Sulphur Creek tell the protagonist about the dangers of being wet in the cold?

2. Which word from Part IV means to be grateful or thankful?

3. The protagonist thinks to himself as he dies in Part VI, “When he got back to the States he could tell the folks” what?

4. What does the protagonist plan to remove by the fire to dry in Part IV?

5. The protagonist lights his second fire by touching a match to a small shred of what that he takes from his pocket in Part IV?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the protagonist go about starting his second fire in Part V? What obstacles does he face in the process?

2. How does the protagonist’s body respond when he begins to build a fire after falling through the ice in Part IV?

3. What does the protagonist hope to do as a last resort in Part VI? What happens?

4. What does fire symbolize in the story? What message does the author convey through this symbol?

5. Is the protagonist aware of the danger he is in after falling through the ice? What is the danger?

6. Why does the protagonist curse the dog in Part VI? What last effort does he make before accepting his fate?

7. What does the protagonist do after his fire is extinguished in Part V? What danger does he face?

8. How does the protagonist regain the feeling of his fingers in Part V?What happens when he goes to light a match?

9. What is the mental state of the protagonist as he builds his fire after falling through the ice in Part IV?

10. Why does the protagonist resume running after he has fallen down in Part VI?

(see the answer keys)

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