Chapter I: Economy Quiz — Walden Pond

by Henry David Thoreau

Comprehension Quiz: Chapter I: Economy

How long did Thoreau live at Walden Pond?

  • One year and six months
  • Two years and two months
  • Three years
  • Exactly two years

According to Thoreau, what are the four necessities of human life?

  • Food, Water, Shelter, and Clothing
  • Food, Shelter, Clothing, and Fuel
  • Food, Shelter, Community, and Labor
  • Food, Clothing, Education, and Shelter

How much did Thoreau's cabin cost to build?

  • \.72
  • \.12
  • \.78
  • \.99

From whom did Thoreau buy boards for his cabin?

  • A local lumber mill
  • His neighbor Seeley
  • James Collins, an Irishman on the Fitchburg Railroad
  • A farmer in Concord

What does Thoreau compare the endless toil of his neighbors to?

  • The punishment of Sisyphus
  • The twelve labors of Hercules
  • The wanderings of Odysseus
  • The sufferings of Prometheus

What is the primary crop Thoreau planted near his cabin?

  • Corn
  • Potatoes
  • Beans
  • Turnips

What does Thoreau say about philanthropy in Economy?

  • It is the highest virtue a person can practice
  • It is overrated and often motivated by the reformer's own private ailments
  • It should be the primary focus of every citizen
  • It is best practiced through organized religious institutions

On what date did Thoreau move into his cabin, and why is this significant?

  • March 1st — the start of spring
  • April 15th — tax day
  • July 4th — Independence Day
  • January 1st — the new year

Which of the following events actually happens in Chapter I: Economy?

  • Thoreau catches fish for his dinner from Walden Pond
  • Thoreau borrows an axe and begins cutting white pines for timber
  • Thoreau hosts a large dinner party at his completed cabin
  • Thoreau sells his cabin to a neighbor at the end of the chapter

Which of the following does Thoreau actually describe witnessing in this chapter?

  • A deer drinking from Walden Pond at dawn
  • A striped snake lying motionless on the bottom of a pond-hole
  • A thunderstorm that destroys part of his cabin frame
  • A group of transcendentalists visiting his building site

What does "factitious" mean as used in the sentence: "are so occupied with the factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life"?

  • Factual and well-documented
  • Artificially created; not natural or genuine
  • Extremely important and urgent
  • Related to manufacturing

In the context of Walden, what does "pecuniary" mean?

  • Peculiar or unusual
  • Relating to punishment
  • Relating to money; financial
  • Relating to farming

What does "torpid" mean when Thoreau writes that "the life that had lain torpid began to stretch itself"?

  • Violent and stormy
  • Mentally or physically inactive; dormant
  • Rapid and energetic
  • Warm and comfortable

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