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"To Build a Fire"

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 2hrs 1mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

How cold is it when the story opens?

a)

30 degrees above zero

b)

30 degrees below zero

c)

107 degrees below zero

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 the Alaskan wilderness

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 dog's strange behavior

d)

Getting caught in a sudden avalanche

4.

The man makes all the following mistakes except

a)

deciding to travel 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.

There is an external conflict between

a)

the beauty of nature and the cruelty of nature

b)

society and the individual

c)

human beings and nature

d)

instinct and civilization

6.

Which of the following character flaws brings about the man's tragic end?

a)

cowardice

b)

carelessness

c)

overconfidence

d)

greed

7.

Toward the end of the story the man has an internal conflict between his

a)

body and his will

b)

short term goals and long term goals

c)

convenience and his needs

d)

animal nature and his spiritual nature

8.

Until the end of the story the man's attitude toward the advice given by the old-timer was

a)

respect

b)

curiosity

c)

confusion

d)

ridicule

9.

What is a possible theme of the story?

a)

People choose their own destinies

b)

Nature is more powerful than humans

c)

In nature humans live by instinct

d)

Heed the advice of the experienced

10.

Jack London's attitude toward the Yukon wilderness is one of

a)

nostalgia

b)

respect

c)

apprehension

d)

affection

11.

During the course of the story, the man changes from

a)

being haughty to being helpless

b)

being rational to being spiritual

c)

being heartless to being caring

d)

being courageous or to being fearful

12.

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

13.

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 runs toward camp

14.

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 a leg

d)

The trail has been run over by more people

15.

Which mistakes ultimately lead to the man's death?

a)

He travels alone, doesn't listen to knowledgeable people, and ignores signs of how cold it really is.

b)

He travels with others, doesn't listen to survival experts, and he's oblivious to how cold it really is.

c)

He travels alone, pays attention to the dog's actions, and is acutely aware of how cold it really is.

d)

He travels with others, listens to knowledgeable people, and he is oblivious to how cold it really is.

16.

Who is the protagonist of the story?

a)

Nature

b)

The dog

c)

Ole Jeb

d)

The man

17.

Who is the antagonist in the story?

a)

Nature

b)

The dog

c)

Ole Jeb

d)

The man

18.

What effect did the man's frozen hand have on his survival?

a)

He was unable to cook bacon and heat up his lunch by the fire.

b)

He was unable to light matches and properly tend to the fire.

c)

He was unable to comfort his dog by petting it

d)

He was unable to use his hands to warm his feet.

19.

The cause of the man's final predicament is that

a)

He stops for lunch and uses up all his matches

b)

He chooses to travel when everything is thawing

c)

He steps into a hidden spring and does not stop to dry his feet

d)

He does not pay enough attention to where he build to fire.

20.

In London's story, nature is portrayed as

a)

indifferent to humanity

b)

warm and kind

c)

helpful but ignored

d)

misunderstood and misused.

21.

What event could be seen as foreshadowing the man's death

a)

The man discovers his spit cracks in the air.

b)

The man forgot to build a fire to eat lunch

c)

The man couldn't see well because the sun wasn't all the way up

d)

The man got lost when the dog decided to chase a rabbit.

22.

The climax occurs when

a)

the man falls through the creek.

b)

the man decides to meet death with dignity

c)

the man catches the dog

d)

the man's fire is extinguished by the falling snow

23.

"To Build a Fire" takes place in

a)

Alaska

b)

The Yukon

c)

Vermont

d)

Mt. Everest

24.

"To Build a Fire" was written by

a)

Jack London

b)

Jack Paris

c)

Edgar Allan Poe

d)

Ernest Hemingway

25.

The man is

a)

Flat/Static

b)

Round/Static

c)

Flat/Dynamic

d)

Round/Dynamic