White Fang – Chapter One Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Where does this part of the story take place?
A) A tropical jungle
B) A frozen Northland waterway surrounded by spruce forest
C) A desert
D) A busy city

2. What is being pulled on the sled?
A) Furs to sell at market
B) A long, narrow oblong box (a coffin)
C) Extra food supplies
D) Mining equipment

3. How many men are traveling with the sled, and what is true of the third person?
A) Three men, and all three are alive and walking
B) Two men walking, and a third man lying dead in the box on the sled
C) One man alone with no companions
D) Four men taking turns pulling the sled

4. What are the names of the two men traveling together?
A) Bill and Henry
B) Jack and London
C) One Ear and Henry
D) Bill and White Fang

5. What does Bill notice while feeding the dogs that worries him?
A) The dogs refused to eat at all
B) There seemed to be seven dogs eating fish, though they only own six
C) One of the dogs had run away for good
D) The dogs were fighting over the coffee-pot

6. What sound repeatedly interrupts the men’s conversation?
A) The howling of wind
B) Wailing, hungry cries in the darkness, answered by other cries
C) The cracking of ice on the river
D) Gunfire in the distance

7. Why does Bill say he wishes for more ammunition?
A) He wants to hunt rabbits for food
B) He only has three cartridges left and fears the creatures circling camp
C) He wants to signal for help
D) He is planning to sell the bullets in town

8. What do the men see forming a circle around their camp in the darkness?
A) Footprints in the snow
B) Pairs of gleaming eyes watching them
C) Smoke from another campfire
D) Shadows of trees

Short Answer

9. Describe the mood or atmosphere of the "Wild" as it is described at the beginning of the chapter. Use at least one detail from the text.

10. Why are Bill and Henry traveling through this dangerous, frozen land despite the risk? What clue does the text give about the man in the box?

11. How do the sled dogs react to the unseen presence in the darkness, and what does this suggest about the danger the men face?

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Answer Key

1. B
2. B
3. B
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. B
8. B
9. Sample answer: The Wild is described as silent, cold, and lifeless, with a "mirthless" laughter compared to the smile of a sphinx—suggesting it is mocking and hostile toward life and human effort.
10. Sample answer: The dead man in the box is suggested to have been wealthy or important ("a lord or something in his own country") who never had to worry about food or blankets, yet came to this harsh land anyway; Bill and Henry are transporting his body, likely to give him a proper burial elsewhere.
11. Sample answer: The dogs huddle close to the fire in fear, cringing and crawling around the men's legs, showing that they sense real danger (likely wolves) surrounding the camp.