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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 begins to note the new _____________ in his new vicinity and location, which makes him curious as to where he is.

2. At dinner, Callahan eats a large amount of ____________ food, surprising everyone with the appetite he has.

3. Why do Callahan's legs continue to swell up when he walks, though he has been told to rest more?

4. What has atrophied so severely that Callahan is unable to keep himself upright?

5. What is the source of the flash that Callahan sees when he wakes up in the middle of the night on April 20th?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How had the fishermen come to find Callahan's boat in the water?

4. What does Callahan have to do before he can fix up the problem with the lower half of the life raft?

5. How does Callahan attempt to reinforce his cracked spearhead when he attempts to fish the next day after the incident with the dorado?

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

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

8. What happens to the boat as a result of the fish fighting with Callahan during his attempts to catch it?

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

10. What is becoming harder for Callahan to complete after he has fixed the breach in the boat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Callahan thinks of his family often, what they are doing, and how they might be thinking of him.

Part 1: Why do you think Callahan continues to think about his family when he is out on the boat?

Part 2: Do you think it's helpful to think about home when you're in a survival situation?

Part 3: How do you think your family might react if you were lost at sea? Why?

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Several times, it seems that Callahan might have been able to be rescued from his boat.

Part 1: Why do you think that Callahan's continued efforts to signal were not seen or heard?

Part 2: Is there anything else that Callahan could have done to be noticed? Why or why not?

Part 3: Do you think Callahan had the right tools in order to be noticed in the Atlantic Ocean?

(see the answer keys)

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