"To Build a Fire"

What event happens just before the following line: "The man was shocked. It was as though he had just heard his own sentence of death"?

• He uses the last of his matches.
• The wolf dog attacks him.
• He reaches into his jacket and finds that his food is gone.
• Falling snow smothers his fire.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

What causes the man's frozen beard to have "the color and solidity of amber"?

• Tobacco
• Whiskey
• Licorice
• Dirt

Tags

CCSS.RI.5.5

CCSS.RI.6.5

CCSS.RI.7.5

CCSS.RI.8.5

CCSS.RI.9-10.5

What does the man have to watch out for while he's walking down the frozen creek?

• Falling trees
• Wolverines
• Pockets of warm spring water
• Yukon thieves

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

The dog's reluctance to leave the fire mainly symbolizes

• Its instinct to stay warm on such a cold day.
• Its attempt to keep the man safe.
• Its fear of the boys at the camp.
• Its hunger

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.1

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

 What is the “trouble” with the man, according to the narrator?

• The man is too arrogant and does not listen to those who are older and wiser.
• The man lacks a youthful appreciation for nature.
• The man does not have the necessary skills to survive.
• The man does not seriously consider the potential dangers of nature.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

What does the fire most likely symbolize?

• The fire most likely represents destruction, which makes the man’s struggle to build a fire all the more ironic.
• The fire most likely represents life—without fire, the man’s survival is impossible.
• The fire most likely represents civilization and human advancement.
• The fire most likely represents warmth and connection, both of which the man lacks.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

 Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to the previous question? (What does the fire represent?)

• “The dog had learned fire, and it wanted fire, or else to burrow under the snow and cuddle its warmth away from the air.” (Paragraph 6
• “The dog took satisfaction in the fire, stretching out close enough for warmth and far enough away to escape being singed.” (Paragraph 14)
• “There was the fire, snapping and crackling and promising life with every dancing flame.” (Paragraph 21)
• “And still he endured it, holding the flame of the matches clumsily to the bark that would not light readily because his own burning hands were in the way, absorbing most of the flame.” (Paragraph 28)

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2