Grade 8 English

Two Old Women

Could You Survive in the Wild?—A Quiz

1. Suddenly, you hear thunder and see lightning in the distance. What’s that formula for knowing how far away the storm is? You count the seconds between seeing the lightning flash and hearing the thunder…

A. Every 5 seconds equals one mile away

B. Every 10 seconds equals one mile away

C. Every one second equals 5 miles away

D. Every one second equals 10 miles away

2. Okay, then: True or False? As long as a thunder storm is five miles away or farther from you, you are pretty safe from lightening strikes. A. True B. False

3. Oh, no! One of your companions gets frostbite! When treating frostbite, you should:

A. Rub the limbs down with snow

B. Give the victim a cup of coffee to warm up

C. Gradually warm the body by wrapping in dry blankets

D. Plunge the affected areas in hot water

4. It's been 24 hours since you were separated from your group. What is the best thing to do to help the people who are looking for you?
a. Climb to the highest peak and wait.
b. Try to follow your own tracks and retrace your path.
c. Walk in the direction that you think is populated until you find help.
d. Sit under a large tree, using it for shelter until somebody finds you.

5. You have walked into a large clearing and you remember how people on TV always make an SOS for planes to see. Your signal should be?
a. Your name spelled out in rocks.
b. The words should be 2 feet wide.
c. At least 12 feet tall.
d. Made out of sticks as tall as you are.

6. Your bottle of water is almost full, but you are very thirsty. It is best to…
a. Drink your water all at once so you don't get dehydrated.
b. Hold off drinking until you are extremely thirsty.
c. Drink a little whenever you are thirsty.
d. Ration the water only drinking three sips a day.

8. Which of these two is the best to have in your survival kit? A. candy bars B. a can of sardines

9. You’re in the snow in the arctic. You see a snake—a snow snake. You kill it. Can you eat it?

A. Yes B. No

10. A modern lighter is a handy, dependable survival aid. A. True B. False

11. Shivering causes the body to produce heat. A. True B. False

12. You’re REALLY starving, and desperate. Which of the following has the highest percentage of protein in its body? (a) Earthworm (b) Termite (c) Ant (d) Grasshopper

13. What’s the best temperature to be lost in, you ask. A naked, motionless, healthy human maintains a comfortable temperature only as long as the environment stays between: (a) 21 and 25 degrees centigrade (b) 23 and 27 degrees centigrade (c) 25 and 32 degrees centigrade (d) 28 and 34 degrees centigrade

14. You’ve got some water, but you want to boil it to be sure it’s safe. To disinfect water by boiling, how long should it be boiled?
   A. 15 minutes.
   B. One second.
   C. One hour.
   D. Depends on altitude.

15. When stung by a bee, you should take tweezers and remove the stinger.
A. True B. False

16. How many human deaths occur annually in the United States by venomous snakes?
   A. 250
   B. 5
   C. 50
   D. 12

17. Sucking on a small rock or pebble can—temporarily—help your thirst. A. True B. False

18. You want to re-fill your water bottle. There are some ponds around. You should look for a pond… A. with insects flying around it B. with no insects flying around it

19. You want to put up your tent for the night, and there is a dry creek bed. A. good place to put your tent B. bad place to put your tent

20. You need to get to the top of that steep hill. Which way will use up less energy: A. Quickly going straight to the top B. Weaving back and forth across the hill to the top

21. One of you suggests: Let’s split up. That way, the odds increase that at least one of us will find help. A. Good idea B. Bad idea

22. You find a water source, and it looks safe. A. Drink only what you need for now. B. Take lots of water by filling up all your bottles

23. You are trying to find a way through the hills and mountains, and you come across a trail that looks like it was made by deer or some other large animal. It looks like it goes in the right direction. A. follow it B. stay off it

24. Your watches are all broken. With which of the following can you tell approximately how much time is left before sundown? A. your feet B. your fists C. your fingers D. your hair

25. You have strayed a couple of miles away from where you are camping, and it starts to rain. You are not wearing your rain gear. You should… A. run toward camp quickly B. take shelter under the branches of a tree C. use your knife to build a shelter out of branches D. try to build a fire

E. don’t worry about it; it’s just water

26. In almost all survival situations, which of the following is the LEAST important? A. shelter

B. fire C. food D. water

27. Which is the best way to plan to send a signal? A. fire B. mirror C. whistle

28. You have a headache. Which one of these might be able to help, boiled up into a tea? A. charcoal B. oak leaves C. willow bark

29. I’m going to put you in a random location in some wilderness in the world and leave you there to survive. Which of these three would be the smartest to take: A. a cell phone B. a knife

C. matches

30. Okay, you are really, REALLY desperate for water. Can you safely drink human urine? A. Yes B. No

31. In a snowy, arctic location, which is the best kind of shelter? A. a snow cave you dig out of the snow B. a shelter made from evergreen branches

32. Which of these is (usually) the most essential to get first in a survival situation? A. shelter

B. water C. food D. fire

33. Which of these four is the most likely source of good water? A. river B. stream C. lake D. pond

34. You’re not sure if that plant or berry is safe. A good method is to taste just a tiny bit, and wait a couple of hours to see if there are any bad effects. A. true B. false

35. Ow! You sprained your ankle. Which of these is NOT a good treatment? A. soak the foot in an icy cold stream B. tighten the laces of your boot C. soak the foot in warm water D. wet a rag or cloth and wrap it around the foot

36. Statistically, who is more likely to survive a wilderness emergency situation? A. males B. females

(And…Can you say why?)