QUIZ: To Build a Fire

Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. Comprehension The questions below refer to the selections To Build a Fire; from Left for Dead. ____ 1. How cold is it when To Build a Fire opens? a. 30 degrees above zero c. 32 degrees below zero b. 0 degrees d. 75 degrees below zero 2. The man is best described as a. intelligent and highly organized b. brave and heroic c. foolish and unimaginative d. very knowledgeable about surviving in Alaskan winters 3. What does the man fear from the beginning of his journey? a. Falling through the snow and getting his feet wet b. The strange color of the sky c. The dogs strange behavior d. Getting caught in a sudden avalanche 4. The man makes all the following mistakes except a. deciding to traveling alone b. forgetting to bring matches with him c. not listening to people who know more about the North d. not understanding the danger he faces 5. After he falls into the spring, the man a. cannot build a fire b. succeeds in building a fire c. kills the dog to stay warm d. builds a roaring fire and dries out completely 6. When the bough full of snow falls, the man a. realizes that he is likely to die b. starts the fire easily c. huddles with the dog to warm his hands and feet d. immediately panics and starts running toward camp 7. Why is the man unable to reach the camp? a. He lacks the endurance to run that far. b. He gets lost. c. He trips and breaks his legs. d. The trail has been covered over by fresh snow. 8. You can infer that London a. feels great sympathy for the man b. believes that no one should travel in the Yukon c. realizes that the man could have saved himself d. thinks that the man is a fool 9. When Beck Weathers falls, he holds his hands close to his body so that a. he will land flat and not fall through the snow

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b. his arms stay warm c. he wont damage his hands with further frostbite d. his head will be protected from frostbite ____ 10. All of the following things happen to Weathers except a. his right arm is frozen over his head b. he eats his own boot to stay alive c. Todd Burleson finds him d. he doesnt want to believe the blue rocks are tents Literary Focus: Naturalism The questions below refer to the selection To Build a Fire. ____ 11. In Londons story, nature is portrayed as a. indifferent to humanity c. helpful but ignored b. warm and kind d. misunderstood and misused ____ 12. Naturalism, as shown in this story, holds that a. animals and humans can learn to respect each other b. nature is a source of comfort and inspiration c. human beings are subjected to forces beyond their control d. close observation of nature requires a scientific approach ____ 13. Londons story shows the naturalist belief that people are at the mercy of a. a spiritual entity c. other people b. animals and other creatures d. heredity and environment Reading Skills: Analyzing Text Structures: Cause and Effect The question below refers to the selection To Build a Fire. ____ 14. In To Build a Fire the mans final predicament is caused when he a. does not pay enough attention to his immediate surroundings b. steps into a hidden spring and does not stop to dry his feet c. chooses to travel when everything is thawing d. stops for lunch and uses up all his matches

Matching Vocabulary Development Match each Vocabulary word with its definition from the list below. On the lines provided, write the letter of the definition. a. absolutely necessary d. sticking out b. firmness e. wavelike motions c. difficult to define; vague ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. intangible undulations protruding solidity imperative

Short Answer Constructed Response The question below refers to the selection To Build a Fire. 20. Which of the following statements about To Build a Fire do you think best reflects naturalist theory? On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph that explains your answer. Support your ideas with details from the story. a. b. c. d. The man dies because he underestimates the force of the bitter cold. The mans survival depends on factors over which he has no control. The dog is better suited to the Yukons environment than the man is. Even with a companion along, it would have been dangerous for the man to travel through the Yukon.