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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. Who is the new crew member Callahan takes on, although this person leaves him a short while later?

2. Who travels with Callahan during his first trip near the Scilly Isles on the way to Penzance?

3. Which of the boats quickly takes the lead when the trans-Atlantic race finally begins at the start of the book?

4. What revives Callahan during his moment of health crisis when he is cleaning a dorado on the boat?

5. Why doesn't anyone on the freighter that Callahan spots see that he is signaling them to see him?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When Callahan sees a distant ship after his success with the food storage, how does he try to signal the ship?

3. 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?

4. What does Callahan do when he finally catches a triggerfish to eat when on the boat?

5. Why is it important for the harpoon gun to have a strap on it, according to Callahan?

6. Why does Callahan decide to grab supplies as his ship is going down, aside to aid him in survival?

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

8. What does Callahan begin to document in order to calculate the odds of his own survival?

9. How long does Callahan calculate it will take the boat to reach the shipping lanes of the ocean?

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

Callahan decides in the beginning that he is better off than most who are in his situation.

Part 1: Do you agree that Callahan seems to be better off than most people in the situation that he's in on the boat?

Part 2: Why do you think that Callahan tells himself that he is better off than others?

Part 3: In what ways is Callahan worse off than others in his situation?

Essay Topic 2

When Callahan is faced with sickness, this could have resulted in the end of his life without the proper medical equipment.

Part 1: Why do you think Callahan is able to overcome his illnesses?

Part 2: Do you think another person might not have been able to overcome this illness that Callahan faces?

Part 3: How do you think Callahan could have avoided illness on the boat?

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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