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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 did the skiers respond when Cheryl shouted to them from the PCT in Chapter 9: “Staying Found,” "WHERE ARE WE?"

2. What shape are the small metal PCT markers that appear periodically along the trail?

3. When was Cheryl Strayed born?

4. What did Troy work delivering around southern California when he picked Cheryl up to give her a ride in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

5. How many times had Cheryl been backpacking previously when she set out to journey the PCT?

Short Essay Questions

1. How would you describe Cheryl's mindset as she returns to the PCT in Chapter 9: “Staying Found”?

2. What map does Cheryl describe in the beginning of Chapter 2: “Splitting”?

3. What symbolism is revealed to be connected to the feather that Cheryl carries in Chapter 8: “Corvidology”?

4. What revelations about herself does Cheryl have while looking into the mirror before setting out for the PCT in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position”?

5. What happens when Cheryl goes to lift her backpack and set out on the hike in Chapter 3: “Hunching in a Remotely Upright Position”?

6. How does Cheryl describe her past relationship with Joe in Chapter 4: “The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume I: California”?

7. What memories of Cheryl's divorce are shared with the reader in Chapter 6: “A Bull in Both Directions”?

8. What is revealed of Cheryl's past in the flashback to the Mayo Clinic in Chapter 1: “The Ten Thousand Things”?

9. How does the author introduce herself and her mindset regarding her journey in the memoir's Prologue?

10. When does Cheryl stop hiking on her first day on the PCT in Chapter 4: “The Pacific Crest Trail, Volume I: California”? What are her thoughts as she camps?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Cheryl’s flashback and discussion of James Michener when she meets Christine and Jeff in Chapter 10: “Range of Light.” Why did Cheryl disregard and insult her mother’s love of Michener? Why did Cheryl choose a Michener book from Jeff’s collection? What does this action symbolize in the narrative?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Cheryl’s references in Wild to American naturalist and author John Muir and the establishment of the Sierra Club. When was the Sierra Club founded? What was its mission? How does Cheryl describe her feelings about John Muir and his causes?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss Cheryl’s encounter with Frank, Walter, and Carlos in the reading. What were Frank, Walter, and Carlos doing when Cheryl found them? What fears did Cheryl face as she sat in Frank’s truck? Were these fears well-founded?

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