Walden Close Reading Quiz

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

• To express that his cabin is cozy for the winter

• To express that his cabin is incomplete

• To express his total unhappiness with his cabin

• To express that winters in Concord, MA are bad

• To express his dislike for rain

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

• A mountain goat

• A body of water

• A cloud

• A hiker/climber

• A camp

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

• Be in charge of others

• Be picky in a buffet line

• Don't live passively

• Don't be overwhelmed by choices

• All technology is bad

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

• Death

• That which he defines as not having meaning

• That which he defines as expensive

• That which he defines as evil

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

• Actual literal bone marrow inside of your bones

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

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

• Our possessions

• This means our friendships, and that's it

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

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

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

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

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

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

• the laws of nature

• marriage

• God and religion

• work and money

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

• not impressive and ordinary

• unkind and cruel

• the sum of all the parts of life

• epic and amazing

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

• wasted

• discovered

• enriched

• unforeseen

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

• The busy, distracted life of city-dwellers

• The literal ships and boats that men work on

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

• The way that life is while living alone in a cabin

• None of these answers are correct.