The Golden Compass Quizzes

The Golden Compass Quiz

1 Who feels most like family to Lyra at Jordan College?

The Servants

The Scholars

Pantalaimon

The Dæmons
2 How does the Master try to kill Lord Asriel?

By sabotaging his flight away from the College

By poisoning his coffee

By hiring an assassin to stab him as he leaves the College

By poisoning his wine
3 Why does Lyra decide to be careful around Ma Costa at the horse fair?

Because Ma Costa is angry

Because the year before Lyra stole Ma Costa’s boat

Because Ma Costa once snapped a boy’s backbone in two

Because Ma Costa might tell the Master about whatever Lyra does around her
4 What kind of animal does Pantalaimon become when Lyra is getting into a fight with the other children in Oxford?

A dragon

A tiger

A gargoyle

A snake
5 Before the cocktail party, why does the golden monkey attack Pantalaimon?

As part of Pantalaimon’s combat training

Because Pantalaimon made fun of the monkey

Because Pantalaimon was trying to steal the monkey’s food

To force Lyra to obey Mrs. Coulter instead of arguing back
6 Why does Ma Costa leave the room when Tony and Lyra start to discuss the North?

The boat is being attacked by the Oblation Board

She has work to do to prepare for the meeting of gyptians that they are on their way to

Her son was taken to the North so she doesn’t like talking about what happens there

To prepare breakfast for Lyra
7 What is a byanroping?

A gyptian dish made of roasted eel in garlic sauce

A grand meeting of many gyptian families

A weapon made of ropes used by the gyptians to hunt eels

A kind of dance performed at gyptian weddings
8 What reasons does the woman at the roping give to John Faa for bringing women on the journey north?

The women can disguise themselves as guards and nurses

The women also want to fight for their children

Some of the women have been to the North before

The women are curious to see what the North is like
9 Apart from time, what is the second meaning of the hourglass in the alethiometer?

Sand

Death

Racing

Seasons
10 Which of the following is NOT a rumor regarding the police's search for Lyra?

That she has escaped from the Gobblers

That she is actually two spirits in the form of a child and her dæmon

That she is from another universe

That she is a Tartar spy
11 What does Jerry say is the advantage of one’s dæmon losing its ability to change forms as an adult?

When a dæmon takes on a permanent form a person can be more sure of what kind of person they are

Dæmons that change forms cannot be trusted

A dæmon that changes forms could leave a child at any time.

Changing forms takes a lot of energy and makes a child tired all the time
12 Who does Serafina Pekkala send to help the rescue party in its mission?

Her daughter

A servant

Her dæmon

Her pet goose
13 How does Lyra respond to the village person who tries to charge her for the fish that Tony Makarios takes with him?

She tells him that taking Tony away is payment enough

She simply runs away with Tony and Iorek

She pays him a gold coin

She bargains to get a lower price
14 Where does Lyra get the idea to carve Tony’s dæmon’s name on a coin for him to be cremated with?

The Librarian and Jordan College taught her about the tradition

She heard that witches do this for their dead

Ma Costa told her about the tradition

The Masters of Jordan College were buried this way
15 Before the Samoyed attack on the caravan, why doesn’t Lee Scoresby take to the sky to gather information?

His balloon needs to be repaired

He cannot find a source of gas to fill his balloon

The weather wouldn’t allow him to see anything anyway

He is too tired to fly
16 There is a photo on a wall of the halls of Bolvangar to give the illusion of light. What is the photo of?

An autumn day

The aurora borealis

A sunset

A tropical beach
17 Why do the doctors try to perform an intercision on Lyra?

Because she is reaching puberty

So that she cannot tell anybody about the conversation she eavesdropped on

To punish her for releasing the dæmons

Because Mrs. Coulter has instructed them to
18 Why does Lee Scoresby’s balloon fall out of the sky on the outskirts of Svalbard?

They are attacked by panserbjørne

There is bad weather

One of the witches accidentally tears a hole in the balloon

They are attacked by dangerous, winged animals
19 How would you describe Lee’s tone when he speaks with Serafina?

Sarcastic and joking

Dismissive and rude

Submissive and deferential

Respectful and direct
20 Why does Lyra pretend to hate Professor Trelawney?

To gain favor with Iofur Raknison, who truly despises Trelawney

To bother Jotham Sentalia, who has said that Trelawney is a good friend of his

To bother Iofur Raknison, who has said that Trelawney is a good friend of his

To gain favor with Jotham Sentalia, who truly despises Trelawney
21 While Lyra is talking to Iofur Raknison, why does Pantalaimon make himself as small as possible?

If Iofur sees that Lyra has a dæmon, it will be obvious that she herself is not a dæmon

Pantalaimon is afraid of Iofur

He is exhausted and wants to sleep in Lyra’s pocket

While Lyra is talking to Iofur, Pantalaimon sneaks around his throne-room to find information
22 According to Soren Eisaron, how did Iofur manipulate Iorek’s destiny?

He killed Iorek’s father

He drugged another bear so that the bear would step beyond his boundaries, provoking Iorek to kill him

He tricked Iorek into killing his own father

He drugged Iorek, stoking his fears and causing him to kill another bear
23 According to the Church, what does Dust represent?

The supremacy of the Church over other religious organizations

The existence of God

That dæmons bring people harm

The effects of Original Sin in the material world
24 What causes Iorek to turn back, leaving Lyra to go after her father on her own?

He is offended by a comment that Lyra makes, and no longer wants to help her

Lyra tells him that it is her destiny to finish her journey alone

He wants to help his troops in battle

Lord Asriel’s tracks cross a bridge that is too weak to hold Iorek’s weight
25 Why is Lyra surprised to see Mrs. Coulter appear at Lord Asriel’s side?

Because she thought that Mrs. Coulter was in London

Because Lyra does not know of any other way that Mrs. Coulter could have gotten to the top of the mountain after the snow-bridge collapses

Because she thought that Iorek had killed Mrs. Coulter

Because she has never seen her parents together before

Essays for The Golden Compass

The Golden Compass, also called Northern Lights, essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman.

Lesson Plan for The Golden Compass

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Wikipedia Entries for The Golden Compass

Introduction

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