Language
Which one of these words from the novel would you NOT associate with a plane?
a) altimeter b) turbulence
c) spasm d) altitude
c) spasm
The pilot has spasms when he is having a heart attack.
What animal did Brian suddenly come across when he was out looking for berries?
A bear.
Why does Brian believe that searchers will have difficulty finding him?
When the pilot had a heart attack, he leaned on the pedals and sent the plane off course, and off the flight plan.
The searchers will be looking in the wrong place!
What present did Brian's mum give him?
A hatchet.
The description of the plane crash on p22-23 is very detailed and descriptive. Some of the words include 'crashing', 'wrenching', 'slammed', 'roared', and 'shattered'.
What is the English term that we use for words that are written to represent the sound they make?
Onomatopoeia
What are three signs/symptoms that the pilot showed to indicate that he was having a heart attack?
- pain in his arm/shoulder
- bad gas/ smells
- trouble speaking
- slamming back in his seat
- unconscious
What does Brian realise are the two most important things he will need to find first?
- clean water - 'he did not know if he could drink it. Nobody had ever told him if he could or could not drink lakes.' (p34)
- food to eat - 'he was weak from hunger. He would have to find something to eat. Before he did anything else he would have to have something to eat.' (p47)
How old is Brian?
13 years old.
'My name is Brian Robeson and I am thirteen years old and I am alone in the north woods of Canada.'
When Brian describes the snapped off trees as 'poking into the sky like broken teeth', what language feature is being used?
Simile
What does Brian call the berries that give him a stomach ache and diarrhoea?
Gut cherries.
How does Brian first find the berries?
He follows the birds.
'He watched them fly... when he got closer he saw they were eating berries.' (p51)
What is 'the secret'?
Brian saw his mother with another man and assumed that it was the reason for his parents' divorce.
When Brian is trying to land the plane, why does he use the metaphor 'green death trees'? What does it mean?
If he lands the plane in the forest, he will crash into the trees and die. It is too dangerous to land the plane there.
He decides to look for a lake to land on instead.
What did Brian use for his shelter?
A carved out rock cave/bowl in the side of a ridge, under a ledge.
(see description p46)
What is an anorak, and why does it become useful to Brian in the first few days?
An anorak is a jacket/windcheater.
Brian uses is to carry berries in to take back to his shelter.
What is Brian's English teacher's name?
Mr Perpich.