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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 3: Adrift in a Clockwork Universe.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who was in command of the ships that ran into the Scilly Islands near England?
(a) Samuel Pepys.
(b) John Harrison.
(c) Admiral Sir Clowdisley Shovell.
(d) Commodore George Anson.

2. What disease afflicted many sailors at sea for long periods of time?
(a) Hepatitis.
(b) Scurvy.
(c) Malaria.
(d) Typhoid fever.

3. What toy does the narrator play with at the beginning of Chapter 1: Imaginary Lines?
(a) A yo-yo.
(b) A globe.
(c) A beaded wire ball.
(d) A spinning top.

4. What could have avoided the tragedy near the Scilly Islands?
(a) If the stars had been out so the captains could utilize them for navigation.
(b) If the lead ship had followed the directions of the admiral.
(c) If the admiral had listened to a sailor who kept his own navigation.
(d) If the rudder on the ship hadn't been broken, the captain could have steered away from the islands.

5. What was the name of the Portugese ship described in Chapter 2: The Sea Before Time that ran into a Spanish fleet?
(a) Eagle.
(b) Romney.
(c) Madre de Deus.
(d) Centurion.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did King Louis build in Paris?

2. When measuring longitude, each hour of time difference between the ship and starting point marks a progress of how many degrees of longitude?

3. What does the term "dead reckoning" refer to?

4. How many men of the original 500 perished on Centurion's voyage to the South Pacific?

5. What was Flamsteed's title?

(see the answer key)

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