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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The owner and captain of the yacht was the wealthy shipping mogul Hermann Oelrichs. One of Oelrichs' goals was to debunk the myth that sharks were man-eaters. He felt certain that their bad publicity stemmed from pure fantasy. He had offered a reward of ____________ for proof that any person had ever been attacked by a shark.
(a) $100.
(b) $500.
(c) $5,000.
(d) $50.

2. There was disagreement among the public as to what killed Charles. Some thought a shark was the culprit, others were convinced that _____________ was the predator.
(a) A large sea turtle or rogue tuna.
(b) A dolphin or ray.
(c) An orca or rogue whale.
(d) A giant squid or octopus.

3. Long distance swimmer, Robert W. Dowling, ________________, announced he would swim out four miles in the Atlantic--sharks be damned!
(a) Twelve.
(b) Nineteen.
(c) Fifteen.
(d) Twenty.

4. The only known creatures that on rare occasions are known to attack great whites of this size are what?
(a) Seals and dolphins.
(b) Larger great whites, sperm whales and orcas.
(c) Blue whales and orcas.
(d) Dolphins, sperm whales, and larger great whites.

5. What happened to the two long distance swimmers on July 6, 1916?
(a) The shark attacked one of them.
(b) The shark bumped into one of them.
(c) They were followed by the shark but were not attacked.
(d) Nothing.

Short Answer Questions

1. As Gertrude stroked along parallel to the coastline, what happened to her?

2. Mrs. Vansant was somewhat concerned about the possible ruckus on the Jersey Shore due to the hordes of visitors expected and a controversy over what?

3. Charles sensed that he was being followed and probably felt he had reached safety. Why did he feel safe?

4. The headline in the Times read, "_____________________."

5. This editorial cited the fact that twenty-five years had passed since Oelrichs' swim with the sharks and _____ evidence had come forth of a shark attacking a man.

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the official report after Charles Bruder's death? What was done as this report was being filed?

2. Why might the hotel have kept Charles' death a secret?

3. Describe the 1891 experiment. Is this a valid experiment? Why or why not?

4. What were the beliefs of many who heard the news of Bruder's death?

5. When word spread about the attack on Charles Vansant, what did many hotel guests think?

6. Had any new evidence come in regarding the dangers of sharks by the time Oelrichs died? Why or why not?

7. Describe the attack on Bruder.

8. Describe a young great white shark regarding its size and speed in the water. What might this mean for a human swimming in the water?

9. How did Dr. Vansant try to save his son? Why was this not adequate?

10. What might have drawn the shark to Charles Vansant?

(see the answer keys)

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