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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 suddenly mixed in with the water Callahan has been trying to collect in the canopy?

2. Where does Callahan want to go in order to get his mail before he flies back to Maine?

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

4. Since he is thirsty enough, Callahan decides to drink water from the ____________, although it makes him sick.

5. What jumps into Callahan's raft and he tries to use it for bait, though it is unsuccessful?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Callahan finally realize about the way a man's life is measured in terms of its worth to others?

2. What happens to the raft as the winds begin to pick up around the raft as Callahan tries to navigate?

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

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

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

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

7. What does Callahan not have to worry about at night anymore now that the weather has turned warm?

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

9. What does Callahan decide he wants to eat when he is in the hospital, refusing other types of nourishment?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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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