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Short Story
Summary:
Travel writer Bill Bryson and his friend Stephan Katz are hiking along the Appalachian Trail when it begins to snow. They cross narrow ledges and slip and slide across streams. It takes them two hours to cover six­tenths of a mile. Finally, they come to the bottom of Albert
Mountain. They cannot go up, and they cannot go back. Bill finds a logging trail marked on his map. They plod up the road through the snow. At last they find the Appalachian Trail again.
They know that they are close to a shelter. At Big Spring Shelter, they find a man and his son.
Jim and Heath are weekend hikers. The four of them spend a cold night in the shelter. The next day the snow is knee deep, but the hikers must find their way to safety. They decide to travel together for a few hours. Then Bill and Katz go one way and Jim and Heath go another. Vocab:
Abysmal­ Extremely bad; appealing
Buffeted­ Strike repeatedly; violently
Daunted­ Makes someone feel intimidated or apprehensive.
Reconnoiter­ To make a preliminary inspection.
Singularity­ The state, fact, quality, or recognition or being singular.
Superannuated­ retired because of age or infirmity.
Unnerving­ make someone lose courage or confidence.
Veneer­ Covering something with a nice piece of wood About the Author:
Bill Bryson’s a popular travel writer whose hiking stories combine human interest with a sense of interest and humor. Bryson has spent more than 20 years in England, touring the country­side and writing best­selling books. In 1995, Bryson returned the the UAS in New
Hampshire near the appalachian trail. Comprehension Questions:
1. What have Bill Bryson and Stephen Katz set out to do? Bill and Stephan have set out to hike the Appalachian Trail.
2. What stands on their way? Many obstacles such as Bear, Bobcats, Rattlesnakes, Poisonous plants, and the long walk along the Appalachian Trail.
3. How do they survive the ordeal? They survived the ordeal by meeting some

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