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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. Callahan tries to keep his own spirits up by distracting himself with _______ and daydreams.

2. Callahan begins to ponder all of the __________ that he did not bring with him on the life raft.

3. What does Callahan successfully kill with a lucky shot, though he is not able to bring it on board?

4. Callahan feels __________ for killing the fish, even though he needs it for food in order to stay alive.

5. Callahan is plagued by ________ and loss at all of the items he was not able to bring with him on the raft.

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens as a result of Callahan fixing up the holes in his raft as he is sailing along in the water?

2. While Callahan hopes to reach his destination by February 25, what happens which seems to reduce the chances of this happening?

3. How does Callahan decide to ease his digestion as the lack of bowel movements are becoming uncomfortable and upsetting to him?

4. How does Callahan decide to prove to himself that he can fulfill his dream to cross the ocean during his life time?

5. What kind of dream is Callahan having when he wakes up in the night to crashing waves in the boat?

6. What is one of the signs that the life raft Callahan is using for survival is not holding air as well as it used to?

7. Why doesn't Callahan use his EPIRB more often in order to signal for help?

8. What is the fear that Callahan has when he begins to think he has reached the shipping lanes in the ocean?

9. What does Callahan risk when he tries to squeak past the Finisterre during the next stage of the race?

10. Where does the sinking of the Napoleon Solo take place, according to Callahan's calculations?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many times, fixes which Callahan put into place suddenly do not work in the way that they did at the beginning.

Part 1: Why do you think the fixes aren't able to hold as well as Callahan thought they would?

Part 2: Would you panic if your fixes didn't work the way you expected them to?

Part 3: How do you think you might respond to problems in your boat returning again and again?

Essay Topic 2

The Coast Guard doesn't seem all that interested in helping the Callahan find their lost family member.

Part 1: Why do you think the Coast Guard isn't as helpful as they could have been?

Part 2: How do you think the Coast Guard could have helped out more?

Part 3: Do you think the story might have been a little biased in the way it portrayed the Coast Guard? Is this possible?

Essay Topic 3

Callahan is rescued in the end but it seems that his new loss of complete freedom causes him to be frustrated with the world.

Part 1: What freedoms has Callahan lost as a result of being rescued from the sea?

Part 2: Do you think it's reasonable for Callahan to be upset that he can not do anything he wants to do?

Part 3: How do you think you would feel if you were rescued after so many days at sea?

(see the answer keys)

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