Nelson Mandela
The book describes Nelson Mandela as the most famous ______________________ in the world.
A. President
B. Boxer
C. Prisoner
D. Teacher
C. Prisoner
Why were Laura and her family called the pioneer family?
A. Because they were old people
B. Because they were one of the first families to live in America and settle new towns in America
C. Because they loved to eat at new places
D. Because they had no friends in the beginning.
B. Because they were one of the first families to live in America and settle new towns in America
At what age did Matthew run away to sea, and how long did he spend on the sea?
Hint: The question is in two parts
Matthew run away to sea at the age of 12. He was on the sea for 6 years.
Nelson Mandela, his mother and three sisters all ate a food called samp from a communal pot.
What is samp?
A. A porridge made from pumpkin
B. A meal made from roasted corn and meat
C. A meal made from dumplin
D. A porridge made from corn on the cob
D. A porridge made from corn on the cob
Why did Laura describe Jack, their dog, as one of the most important members of their family?
Hint: There are two things
Because Jack, their dog, was a hunting dog that helped Pa sometimes to bring them dinner.
It was also a guard dog to protect them from wild animals in the forest.
Why was it so important for Robert and Matthew to reach the North Pole?
Because it was something that no one had ever done before. If they are able to reach the North Pole, they will be the first people to do that.
Nelson Mandela's father fell ill and died. It was a blow.
What does the idiom, 'it was a blow' mean ?
It was a sudden and an unfortunate event.
Why did Ma once slap a bear?
Because it was dark and snowing hard. Ma thought the bear was Sukey, their cow.
Describe one of the saddest event in the story, in your opinion.
1. When Matthew and his team ate the husky dogs because they one of the members of their team was dangerously ill.
2. When Robert got frostbitten and could not walk so eight of his toes were cut off.
The regent liked him - maybe because he worked hard and was ready to pull his weight.
What does the expression 'pull his weight' mean?
he was ready to work hard
He was not lazy
He was ready to learn and do better
Why did the Indians visit Laura's family when they arrived on their land?
The Indians visited Laura's family because they didn't like strangers building on their land.
Why do you think Matthew and Robert were successful in their last journey to the North Pole? What did they do differently to achieve this success eventhough they were very old.
In their previous journeys they made all the journey by themselves without much help from anyone. In the last journey, they got a lot of help from the Inuit people, who prepared food and igloos for them along the way
The police wanted to arrest Nelson Mandela so he disguised himself as a chauffeur.
What does 'disguised' mean?
It means he dressed himself to look different so he won't be easily recognised by anyone
Describe the saddest things in the story that happened to Ma, Pa, and Mary.
Ma has a son but he died.
Pa's crops were all eaten by grasshoppers.
Mary became ill and got blind
Mention three things in the book that suggests that Matthew was a smart boy/man.
1. Matthew quickly learned to speak the Inuit language and he was liked by all the inuit people.
2. Matthew learned how to drive the sledge and soon became an expert sledge driver
3. Matthew was a very good shooter. He was able to save his friend， Robert, when a musk ox attacked them
4. Matthew was able to help Robert to draw the map for Greenland.