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Walden Close Reading Quiz

Total questions: 12

Worksheet time: 6mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In line 3 when Thoreau uses the word, "merely," how is he using this word in this context?

a)

To express that his cabin is cozy for the winter

b)

To express that his cabin is incomplete

c)

To express his total unhappiness with his cabin

d)

To express that winters in Concord, MA are bad

e)

To express his dislike for rain

2.

In the second paragraph, what does "tarn" most likely mean in this context?

a)

A mountain goat

b)

A body of water

c)

A cloud

d)

A hiker/climber

e)

A camp

3.

What does Thoreau mean in the focus paragraph when he says to live "deliberately"?

a)

Be in charge of others

b)

Be picky in a buffet line

c)

Don't live passively

d)

Don't be overwhelmed by choices

e)

All technology is bad

4.

In the focus paragraph, what does Thoreau mean by "not life."

a)

Death

b)

That which he defines as not having meaning

c)

That which he defines as expensive

d)

That which he defines as evil

5.

In the focus paragraph, what is the "marrow" of life, according to Thoreau?

a)

Actual literal bone marrow inside of your bones

b)

The important aspects that are beneath the surface and hard to attain

c)

In a 21st century context, this means our Smart Phones and other technologies

d)

Our possessions

e)

This means our friendships, and that's it

6.

Also in the focus paragraph, when Thoreau says he will put "rout" on all that is not life? He means that...

a)

he will wage and win a metaphorical war against life's distractions from what the true essence of life is

b)

he will not accept defeat from nature while he is in the woods

c)

he will defeat any wild animal that crosses his path and survive in the wilderness

d)

he will go into Concord, MA and make as much of that money as he can

7.

Also in the focus paragraph, what do we infer are the "essential facts of life"?

a)

the laws of nature

b)

marriage

c)

God and religion

d)

work and money

8.

In the focus paragraph, what does the word "mean" most likely mean (ha, get it?)?

a)

not impressive and ordinary

b)

unkind and cruel

c)

the sum of all the parts of life

d)

epic and amazing

9.

In the last paragraph, how does Thoreau use the word, "frittered"? What does it mean in this context?

a)

wasted

b)

discovered

c)

enriched

d)

unforeseen

10.

Finally, what does Thoreau mean by the "chopping sea of civilized life"?

a)

The busy, distracted life of city-dwellers

b)

The literal ships and boats that men work on

c)

That living by the ocean (or on the beach) makes us more civilized

d)

The way that life is while living alone in a cabin

e)

None of these answers are correct.

11.

"Lit" in the context of Coach E's classroom means

a)

High temperatures

b)

Literature

c)

Of the highest quality of multiple levels

d)

All of these answers are correct.

12.

Our standard "Be careful what you read" was a focus on

a)

word choice and figurative meanings

b)

nothing

c)

poetic structure and it's effect

d)

the author's structure of a piece of literature

e)

character motivations