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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. What is Thoreau's shelter at Walden Pond?
(a) An abandoned shanty.
(b) A cave.
(c) A tent.
(d) A small house.

2. In what does Thoreau claim to have indulged very little?
(a) Philanthropy.
(b) Literature.
(c) Alcohol.
(d) Philosophy.

3. What bird sings to Thoreau as he works in the bean-field?
(a) A Sparrow.
(b) A Finch.
(c) A Brown Thrasher.
(d) A Robin.

4. Which bird does Thoreau doubt has ever profaned Walden Pond?
(a) A sparrow.
(b) A seagull.
(c) A pigeon.
(d) A finch.

5. Of what do the smells from the train remind Thoreau?
(a) The destruction of nature.
(b) Big city life.
(c) Other parts of the world.
(d) His childhood.

Short Answer Questions

1. "The village appeared to me a great..."

2. What did Thoreau do during his first summer at Walden Pond?

3. "The swiftest traveler is he that goes..."

4. What attracted Thoreau to the farm?

5. What animals ate out of the hands of the woodsman?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Thoreau advocate living "free and uncommitted"?

2. What suggestions does Thoreau make to improve the state of culture in Concord?

3. Why does Thoreau decide to live such an isolated life at Walden Pond?

4. What is Thoreau's theory about entertaining visitors?

5. How does Thoreau compare the people in the village to muskrats?

6. How does Thoreau explain his relationship with his beans?

7. What does Thoreau believe will happen if general American society begins supporting education?

8. What does Thoreau mean when he says "The whole body is one sense"?

9. What benefits does Thoreau say he gains from simplifying his existence?

10. How does Thoreau bond with the old fisherman?

(see the answer keys)

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