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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. How long does Gary spend in the back of the truck with the dogs when he brings them home from Canada?
(a) Three hours.
(b) Less than 30 minutes.
(c) All day.
(d) All night.

2. Where does the trapping trail outside of Anchorage end?
(a) At a river.
(b) At a vertical rock face.
(c) At the edge of a canyon.
(d) At a cabin.

3. When do Gary and the dogs arrive in Alaska?
(a) Late January.
(b) Late November.
(c) Late December.
(d) Early February.

4. What does it mean when a musher comes from "Down Below"?
(a) He or she is a native of Alaska.
(b) He or she is from the lower forty-eight states.
(c) He or she comes from a place with below-zero temperatures.
(d) When racing, he or she comes from behind to win the race.

5. What becomes Gary's mantra?
(a) If one person can do it, another person can do it.
(b) Slow and steady wins the race.
(c) Be true to yourself and to your dogs.
(d) It's not about winning, it's about how you play the game.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the opening story of the book, where does Gary end up after he is blown sideways?

2. About how long does Gary and his team stop at the Finger Lake checkpoint?

3. In the Prelude Gary writes, "The difficulty came because of ____________."

4. Why do the dogs run towards the beaver on the frozen lake while Gary is training for his first race?

5. What does Ruth say about running the dogs after the first snow?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the incident in "Major Wrecks" when Gary and his team encounter the skunks.

2. After Gary starts back from the wrong trail outside Anchorage, he sees "the extent of the damage." What does he mean?

3. What have the mushers NOT been told about Happy Canyon?

4. Why does Gary think The Interior resembles another planet?

5. In the first chapter, what amazes Gary about Marge and the grouse?

6. Describe Gary's run in The Yukon.

7. In "Alaska," what does Gary mean when he writes, "Sleep died early"?

8. How cold does it get during the Yukon part of the race?

9. What is the challenge of running from Koyuk to Nome?

10. In "Beginnings," what does Gary mean when he writes, "I began to notice the dogs"?

(see the answer keys)

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