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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. Who had told the protagonist about the dangers of being wet in such cold temperatures?
(a) The ship captain
(b) The priest
(c) The old-timer
(d) The gold miner

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

3. The protagonist pictures the boys doing what the next day as he drifts into death in Part VI?
(a) Worrying about him
(b) Finding his body
(c) Praying for his safety
(d) Contacting law enforcement officials

4. Which word from Part IV means a large destructive fire?
(a) Conflagration
(b) Wistful
(c) Apprehension
(d) Recoil

5. In order to build a fire, the protagonist must do what in Part IV?
(a) Remove his moccasins
(b) Remove his mittens
(c) Remove his coat
(d) Remove his watch

Short Answer Questions

1. What element of the story is omitted in the earlier version of To Build a Fire?

2. What thought puts the protagonist in a panic as he tries to light his second fire in Part V?

3. What kind of weapon does the protagonist carry?

4. The protagonist thinks to himself in Part IV, “All a man had to do was” what “and he was all right”?

5. Which word from Part V means skillful or artful management?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator describe the protagonist’s journey when he departs from lunch in Part IV?

2. How are the protagonist’s socks and shoes described as he tries to remove them in Part IV by the fire?

3. What causes the fire to be extinguished in Part V of the story?

4. What obstacle does the protagonist face with gathering twigs for his fire in Part IV?

5. What does the dog do as the protagonist attempts to build his second fire in Part V? What obstacle does the protagonist face in getting the tinder going?

6. How does the protagonist eventually re-gather the matches in Part V?

7. What is symbolized by the ending of the story and the dog’s actions?

8. How does the protagonist’s emotional state evolve as he works on building his second fire in Part V?

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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