Selection Test

To Build a Fire By Jack London

Name: Ryan Davil Instructor: Mrs. Williams Subject: AP Language Pd.:4 Date:4/11/12

Comprehension (25 pts.; 5 pts. ea.) On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. ______ 1. Which of the following events describes the final outcome of the mans struggle against the frigid weather? a. He realizes the danger of traveling in such weather and turns back. b. He builds a fire to dry his feet, then continues his trek. c. He runs all the way to the camp, even though his feet are frozen. d. He stops running, falls asleep, and freezes to death. ______ 2. What does the man fear from the outset of his journey? a. The strange color of the sky b. Falling through the snow and getting his feet wet c. Traveling alone in tremendously cold temperatures d. His dogs strange behavior ______ 3. After he tumbles into the spring, the man a. initially succeeds in building a fire b. is caught in an avalanche c. tries to build a fire to thaw out before eating his lunch d. kills the dog to stay warm ______ 4. When the fire is extinguished, the man a. starts it again with little effort b. huddles with his dog to warm his hands and feet c. realizes he may have just been given a death sentence d. immediately panics and begins running toward camp ______ 5. Why is the man unable to run to the camp? a. He lacks the endurance to run that far. b. He fears getting his feet wet again. c. He cannot run because his legs are frozen. d. He cannot follow the trail while running. Reading Skills and Strategies: Analyzing Text Structures Cause and Effect (20 pts.; 10 pts. ea.) On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. ______ 6. The events of To Build a Fire are organized a. in chronological order b. as mostly flashback c. by emotional content d. according to as structure based on comparison/contrast ______ 7. What event causes the mans final predicament? a. He chooses to travel when everything is thawing. b. He falls into a hidden spring and cant build a fire. c. He stops for lunch and uses up all his matches
A A A A D

d. He does not pay attention to his immediate surroundings. Literary Elements: Naturalism (20 pts.; 10 pts. ea.) On the line provided, write the letter of the best answer to each of the following items. ______ 8. Naturalism, as reflected in the story, holds that a. animals and human beings can learn to respect each other b. nature is a source of comfort and inspiration c. close observation of nature requires a scientific approach d. human beings are subject to forces beyond their control ______ 9. Which trait characterizes naturalism? a. The author recounts events using the first person. b. The author employs detachment and objectivity. c. The author relies on innuendo and implication. d. The author frequently uses foreshadowing and irony. Vocabulary (20 pts.; 2 pts. ea.) Match the definition on the left with the Word to Own on the right. Write the letter of the Word to Own on the line provided.. _______ 10. firmness _______ 11. shrank away _______ 12. compulsory _______ 13. sticking out _______ 14. not easily perceived _______ 15. resulted _______ 16. difficult to define _______ 17. extreme _______ 18. limbs of the body _______19. wavelike motions
B
F I A J H E G D B D

a. intangible b. undulations c. protruding d. solidity e. imperative f. extremities g. recoiled h. imperceptible i. excrutiating j. ensued

Written Response (15 pts.) 20. Which of the following statements about Londons story do you think best reflects naturalist theory? A. The man dies because he underestimates the force of the bitter cold. B. The mans survival depends on factors over which he has no control. C. The dog is better suited to the Yukons environment than the man is. D. Even with a companion, it would have been a dangerous day for the man to travel. Choose one of the statements above and, in the space provided below, write a paragraph defending your choice. Support your ideas with at least two examples from the story. A. The man is confident he can make the journey. He should have listened to the old-timer on Sulfur Creek, but instead ignored the advice of which his life depended on. The man regretted that decision, when he

stated he wished he had believed the old-timer at the time. He took the trip too lightly and it resulted in a catastrophe.