English—10 CP
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho—Unit Test
Scheese
Terms Bank
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Alchemy
Bildungsroman
Destiny
Elixir of Life
Epilogue
AB.
AC.
AD.
AE.
BC.
Fable
Fate
The Initiation
The Journey
Magical realism
BD.
BE.
CD.
CE.
DE.
Omens
Philosopher’s Stone
Picaresque
Prologue
The Quest
MATCHING: Match each definition below with the correct word from the “Terms Bank”:
________ 1. A coming-of-age story in which an adolescent
________ 2. Believed to turn base metals into silver or gold.
_________ 3. The force that controls everything that happens to us along the way.
________ 4. A phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change.
________ 5. The medieval forerunner of chemistry, based on the supposed transformation of matter.
________ 6. The search for someone or some talisman that, when brought back, will restore harmony, etc.
________ 7. Believed to confer youth and longevity.
________ 8. A story of a young knave’s misadventures and escapades—usually episodic in nature.
________ 9. The course of events that we may choose to follow in order to achieve a goal.
________ 10. A story that conveys a lesson as an example of what one should or should not do
________ 11. A section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to
what has happened.
________ 12. A literary genre or style that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise
realistic fiction.
________ 13. A moment, usually psychological, in which an individual comes into maturity.
________ 14. A separate introductory section of a literary or musical work.
________ 15. Sends the hero in search of some truth or information necessary to restore harmony, etc.
MULTIPLE CHOICE: Select the choice(s) that best answer/complete the following questions.
NOTE: There may be more than one answer to some questions.
16. Santiago’s first dream is to travel, which he accomplishes by
A. booking a trip to Mecca.
B. visiting the merchant’s daughter.
C. buying a flock of sheep.
D. accompanying his parents on a trip to Egypt.
17. It is a recurring dream that leads Santiago to pursue his destiny, but whose dream is it that sends him back
home again?
A. A robber
B. The camel driver
C. Santiago
D. The Alchemist
18. Why does Melchizedek appear at this particular time?
A. The caravan is leaving for Egypt.
B. The Gypsy sees it in his dream.
C. Santiago is getting bored with his sheep.
D. Santiago is at a point where he could give it all up.
19. Why do both the Gypsy and Melchizedek urge Santiago to follow his dream?
A. A child in a dream is a good omen.
B. Dreams are the language in which the universe speaks.
C. They both want a portion of his treasure.
D. The Pyramids are always yielding great treasure.
20. Being close to people is shown to be a deterrent to achieving your dreams? Why? Fill in ALL that apply.
A. They will want you to change.
B. They will want to come with you.
C. They will try to undermine your dreams.
D. What they think of you becomes more important to you than your own dreams are.
21. After working for a year in the crystal shop to fulfill his dream to go home and buy his flock again,
what does Santiago realize? Fill in ALL that apply.
A. He really doesn’t like sheep.
B. Maybe that wasn’t really his dream.
C. He actually liked selling crystal.
D. He could always go back to being a shepherd.
22. Santiago is becoming more tolerant of others’ differences. Fill in ALL of the following that are evidence
of this understanding:
A. He understands the reason the crystal merchant may never go to Mecca.
B. He realizes that the merchant’s daughter will find someone else while he is gone.
C. He notices that the camel driver is a quiet man.
D. He accepts that the Englishman’s immersion in his books is the way he learns best.
23. Why is Fatima a better “match” for Santiago than the merchant’s daughter?
A. Fatima does not encourage him to abandon his Personal Legend.
B. Fatima is prettier.
C. The merchant’s daughter didn’t want Santiago to leave.
D. The merchant’s daughter had found somebody else.
24. Santiago claims that he can learn everything he needs to know about alchemy
A. from books.
B. from the alchemist.
C. from the Englishman.
D. through day-to-day life.
25. Santiago is able to turn himself into the wind because he
A. looks inside himself.
B. calms his petty fears.
C. does both A and B.
D. does neither A or B.
26. People, plants, rocks, and elements are all united by
A. the alchemist.
B. the Soul of the World.
C. Santiago.
D. the wind.
27. The vulnerable periods of Santiago’s journey are when he has no clearly defined goal. When does this
happen? Fill in ALL that apply.
A. When he joins the caravan to go to the Pyramids.
B. When he has earned enough money for sheep by working at the crystal shop.
C. When he has to become the wind.
D. When he considers staying at the oasis with Fatima.
28. What is the message conveyed by the fact that, although Urim and Thumimm are available to help Santiago
make decisions, he only uses them once?
A. There are no easy answers.
B. A person should listen to his/her own heart when faced with a decision.
C. Other people will try to tell you what to do.
D. The answers are written in the wind, not in the stones.
29. “You don’t have to understand the desert; all you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you
will see all the marvels of creation.” What point is the alchemist making with this statement?
A. He believes that the desert is too big to be understood.
B. He is urging simplicity.
C. He contends that the desert isn’t the place of greatest beauty on earth.
D. He wants Santiago to look to the wind instead of the desert.
30. “Life attracts life.” How does Santiago apply this advice from the Alchemist?
A. He gives his horse free rein to find life in the desert.
B. He allows his camel to follow the alchemist’s camel when they are traveling in the dark.
C. He uses the hawks from his dream to locate some small game for dinner.
D. He finds Fatima among the hundreds of tents in the oasis.
31. How does the alchemist explain why other alchemists are not successful, but he is? Fill in ALL that
apply.
A. The others are looking only for gold.
B. The others did not want to live out their Personal Legend.
C. The alchemist is smarter than the others are.
D. The alchemist knows the magic spell.
32. “Every search begins with beginner’s luck and every search ends with . . . .“ Finish the
alchemist’s explanation.
A. . . . finding the treasure that had been sought.
B. . . . lowered expectations.
C. . . . disappointment.
D. . . . the victor’s being severely tested.
33. “Listen to your heart. It knows all things . . .” is the alchemist’s advice. But what does he say can get in
the way of doing that?
A. Greed.
B. Love.
C. Fear.
D. Anger.
34. At one point the alchemist tells Santiago, “When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell
others of them, seldom are you believed.” How does this simple lesson save Santiago’s life?
A. The tribal chieftains don’t believe the hawks are an omen.
B. The Englishman doesn’t believe he learns things by observing.
C. The robbers at the Pyramids do not believe he is digging for treasure.
D. Fatima doesn’t believe him when he sys he will come back.
35. Although the alchemist leaves Santiago to finish his journey alone, he does one more thing to help him live
out his Personal Legend.
A. He sends Fatima to him.
B. He gives the monk a piece of gold in case he needs it.
C. He tricks the robbers into going in the other direction.
D. He calls on the moon to light his way.
MATCHING: Fill in the letter(s) that correspond to the character that matches each description in the
left-hand column.
________ 36. Is always with Santiago, as evidenced in the hair
of the old merchant and in the smile of the candy seller.
A. Fatima
B. Thief in Tangiers
________ 37. Has a dream that says his treasure is by
a church in Spain
C. Crystal shopkeeper
________ 38. Teaches Santiago to concentrate on the present
D. Melchizedek
________ 39. Teaches Santiago that everyone has his or her
own way of learning
E. The Alchemist
AB. Merchant’s daughter
________ 40. Insists that Santiago seek out his Personal Legend
AC. Gypsy woman
________ 41. Teaches Santiago that every blessing ignored
becomes a curse
AD. Robber at the Pyramids
________ 42. Tests Santiago’s courage
AE. The Englishman
________ 43. Teaches Santiago that everything in life
has its price
BC. Santiago
BD. Camel driver
________ 44. Is the source of the obstacle that Santiago
encounters when he first arrives in Africa
________ 45. Presents Santiago with fifty gold coins
BE. Tribal chieftain at the oasis