Into Thin Air Practice Test

Name at least four symptoms of altitude sickness as described by Krakauer.

vertigo/headaches, insomnia, cuts and scrapes won't heal, no appetite thirst, rash, hair loss, coughing nausea, vomiting, fever, diarrhea fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, coughing up blood

Correct Answer:

vertigo/headaches, insomnia, cuts and scrapes won't heal, no appetite

Explanation:

At high altitude, acute mountain sickness commonly shows a cluster of symptoms that Krakauer notes: headaches, dizziness (often described as vertigo), trouble sleeping (insomnia), and a reduced appetite. These four fit the pattern he observes as climbers ascend, with headache and dizziness being prominent, along with sleep disturbance and appetite loss. The extra item about cuts and scrapes not healing is not a symptom of altitude sickness and serves as a distractor. The other options include signs that aren’t typical for altitude sickness, such as rashes or thirst, or mix in symptoms that point to other conditions (fever with diarrhea, or coughing up blood), which are not representative of the common AMS pattern Krakauer describes.

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