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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What do the people living near Bay d'Espoir call the bay?

2. How did Mowat unload the passengers he had taken for a test run of the Itchy?

3. What did Mowat see had happened to the stern of the Itchy over the winter?

4. What symbiotic relationship did Mowat and Clarie witness while on their excursion on the Columbier?

5. How did holy water fly around the cabin of the Happy Adventure during the baptism?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who attended the private christening ceremony of the Happy Adventure? What happened at the ceremony that was of interest?

2. On their way to St. Pierre, what sea creatures did Mowat and Donovan encounter? What large sea creature did the men think might capsize their boat? What was it, actually?

3. After finding safe harbor for the night, who did Mowat and McClelland meet when they woke in the morning? What did the their unexpected visitor offer the two men?

4. How long did it take to repair the Itchy? From where did the money come to make the repairs? What new name did Mowat give the boat?

5. Chapter 16 is titled "The Game Is Played." What was the game? Who played the game?

6. Who joined Mowat and Mike aboard the Itchy before they set sail? What was this person doing on the island, and from where did this person originally come?

7. At what point did Mike Donovan leave the Itchy and why? How did he feel about separating from the boat and her crew?

8. Why did Mowat leave his boat in St. Pierre? With whom did he leave the Itchy?

9. Who was Paulo? Where and how did Mowat meet him? What did he do for the Happy Adventure?

10. What surprise did Mowat and Mike find when they retired below the ship to sleep? Who had given the men this surprise, and what did Mowat do with the gift?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

This story is a memoir of Mowat's adventures aboard his boat, the Happy Adventure. In what ways does a memoir differ from an autobiography? Why is The Boat Who Wouldn't Float a memoir rather than an autobiography? What changes would the author need to make in his book for it to be an autobiography?

Essay Topic 2

Fog played a major role in the story Farley Mowat told about his adventures on the Happy Adventure. What two important kinds of fog were there in the story, and what role did each type play in the story?

Essay Topic 3

Who was Peter Easton? What was his importance in the story? What did McClelland do after hearing the story and why? There are at least two ironic parts of the story. What were they? Why would they be considered ironic?

(see the answer keys)

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