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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 is the new color that Callahan can now see when he is looking out onto the horizon?

2. Few people are hopeful that Callahan is alive back home, causing many to _______________.

3. How often does Callahan need to pump air into the the lower tube of the raft since the fix didn't work?

4. What does Callahan lose as the raft begins to swirl around in a circle as he is attempting to navigate?

5. Callahan thinks the only hope for him lies in finding the ____________ and getting rescued there.

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Callahan do to protect himself from a harsh landing on the rocky shore?

2. How does Callahan try to lure other fish to his boat in order to catch more food for his stockpile?

3. What is the damage which Callahan notices has occurred on his fishing spear, making it less effective?

4. What is the fix that Callahan uses on the lower tube, helping it to hold air better than the upper tube?

5. What does Callahan attempt to do in order to keep himself hydrated as he continues to vomit?

6. What is the first sign of land what Callahan sees when he wakes up during the night on April 20th?

7. How does Callahan attempt to plot his likely course as he begins to recover from his illness?

8. What does Callahan miss most about the early days of his new journey on the seas alone?

9. What was the warning that Callahan's ex-wife had given him, which Callahan now recalls?

10. What is the main problem Callahan's family is having with the Coast Guard in an effort to rescue him from the ocean?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

From the beginning, it seems that Callahan did not anticipate his boat capsizing, as all of his supplies were stored in the lower parts of the boat, out of reach.

Part 1: Do you think that Callahan was well prepared for his trans-Atlantic journey?

Part 2: How else do you think Callahan could have prepared for the journey across the ocean?

Part 3: Do you think it's better to prepare for the worst or assume everything will work out well?

Essay Topic 2

Callahan decides that he needs to push doubt out of his mind if he wants to survive.

Part 1: What are the reasons that Callahan should continue to be hopeful on his journey?

Part 2: What are the reasons Callahan has for feeling despair and doubt?

Part 3: What are the benefits of pushing doubt from your mind during difficult situations?

Essay Topic 3

Callahan is an experienced sailor and so it seems that he is able to know what he needs to do in order to survive.

Part 1: Do you think society as a whole knows what they would need to do in Callahan's situation?

Part 2: Do you think Callahan's experience increased his rate of survival?

Part 3: How do you think a non-experienced sailor might react in this sort of survival situation?

(see the answer keys)

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