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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 happens to Sevillano when he jumps onto Manta Diablo's back?

2. After moonrise, how many Indian's does Ramun see standing on the hill?

3. Where is Father Gallardo when Ramun searches for him to ask him about advice pertaining to the pearl?

4. What does Ruiz plan to kill the Manta Diablo with?

5. What are the weather conditions when the Salazar fleet sets sail after the La Paz celebration?

Short Essay Questions

1. After the pearl is discovered to be missing, why doesn't Ramun tell the truth about the pearl?

2. What reason does the Sevillano give to Ramun when Ramun is wondering how the Sevillano was saved from the storm?

3. Why does Father Gallardo place a cross in the sand?

4. What are some of the provisions the Sevillano brings with him when he follows Ramun to the lagoon?

5. Using details from the text, describe Ramun's time in the church after the funeral for the men lost at sea in the storm.

6. Why does Ramun believe that the Indian on the hill might help him if Ramun explains why he has landed on their island?

7. How does Ramun feel about the two greatest happenings in all the history of La Paz?

8. Why does Father Gallardo feel that the Pearl of Heaven has already performed a miracle at the celebration for the pearl?

9. How do the people of La Paz and the surrounding area travel to the celebration of the Pearl of Heaven?

10. Ramun believes that the pearl caused his father's fleet to wreck, causing the death of his father and several crewmen. The Sevillano feels that a different reason caused the wreck. What reason does the Sevillano give Ramun for the shipwreck?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss how the Pearl of Heaven was both a positive and a negative to the characters in the story. How is the pearl viewed as a positive force? How is the pearl viewed as a negative force? Do more characters in the story feel that the pearl is a positive or negative symbol?

Essay Topic 2

What effect do unnamed characters have on the story? Why would the author choose not to name some of the characters?

Essay Topic 3

Using details from the text, compare and contrast the physical appearance of the Manta Diablo as described by Ramun's mother and the other mothers in the village. How do the various descriptions of the Manta Diablo show how a superstition or legend can change over time and from person to person?

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This section contains 776 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample