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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 does Mr. Salazar ask Ramun to fetch when he sends him out during the negotiations?

2. Are the oysters that Ramun finds in the secret location larger or smaller then the ones he usually sees?

3. Who banishes Manta Diablo to the sea?

4. What sign of respect does Soto Luzon show Manta Diablo?

5. What overturns Luzon's canoe?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which characters from the story ride in the Santa Theresa boat from the Salazar fleet?

2. At the beginning of Chapter Five, Ramun feels uneasy when Luzon and he enter Luzon's Lagoon. What does Ramun think is causing his uneasiness?

3. What conclusion does Ramun's father come up with about the giant pearl and its flaw before he cuts the pearl?

4. Describe the process of 'taking the wind'.

5. Why does Ramun's father close the door to his home workshop when he is examining the pearl?

6. What simile does Ramun use to describe how fast the word about the pearl spreads through the town of La Paz?

7. What three things about the pearl business does Ramun's father want to teach Ramun?

8. What is Ramun's motivation to give Soto Luzon more money for the black pearl that Luzon brings to the shop?

9. Describe the Manta Diablo when it roamed the earth.

10. Instead of worrying about the Manta Diablo following Luzon's canoe, what does Ramun focus his thoughts on?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using details from the text, discuss how Ramun changed his beliefs when he realized the true nature of his father's death. What fact about Mr. Salazar's death causes Ramun to realize that he has been wrong about the pearl? Who tells Ramun about the true nature of his father's death? Would Ramun steal the pearl and attempt to return it to the Manta Diablo if he knew the truth about his father's death?

Essay Topic 2

Using details from the text and class discussions, compare and contrast the old wives tales of what the Manta Diablo looked like and the actual look of the Manta Diablo that Ramun witnessed and described in the story. How is the manta the same as the folktales, and how is it different from the tales?

Essay Topic 3

Using details from the text and class discussions, describe Ramun and Gaspar Ruiz's relationship. How are Ruiz and Ramun like brothers? Do Ruiz and Ramun have a friendly relationship? How is Ruiz a negative influence on Ramun? Why does Ramun want to impress Ruiz?

(see the answer keys)

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