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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. The wealthy family of Dr. Eugene Vansant rode in a Pullman with their nannies and servants for a stay in ______________.

2. Since the incident, experts have determined that swimmers who swim with dogs are at greater risk from shark attack. Why?

3. Was it common to see sharks along the Atlantic coast?

4. The great white that attacked the swimmer in 1916 was probably born in the Atlantic around ___________.

5. The thousands of ________________ that cover their skin aid in their maneuverability and speed.

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. When did information regarding Charles' death finally appear in the news? Describe this information. Why might it the information have appeared this way?

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

5. What might have drawn the shark to the shore? How is this a plausible explanation?

6. What happens by the time a shark is eight years old? How is this significant?

7. How does the story begin? How is this chapter important?

8. What information is given about a specific shark? Why is this information important?

9. What happened to Gertrude Schuyler? Why did this happen?

10. Why is it more dangerous to swim with dogs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The shark swam into a fresh water creek.

Part 1) Why did the shark do this? What did this reveal about the shark at this time? How might the shark's state of mind have played a role in the many attacks along the Matawan Creek?

Part 2) What could have been done to keep the shark out of the creek? Might tactics such as this be used today? Why or why not? Do you see creeks as being dangerous now because of this event? Why or why not?

Part 3) In what ways has man tried to control nature to make life better for all mankind? What are the results of these attempts? Why? Should man attempt to control nature? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

The Great White still greatly remains a mystery.

Part 1) What is known about the Great White? How has this information been found? Why is more not known about this shark? How does this support the fact that the shark has remained greatly unchanged since the Age of Reptiles?

Part 2) Would knowing more about Great Whites help or hurt this powerful shark? Why? How could knowing more about this shark benefit humans? Why? How could more be learned about this shark? What technologies might be beneficial in learning more?

Part 3) What other animals still remain a mystery to mankind? Why? Why do humans desire to understand the animal kingdom and other aspects of our world? Does this knowledge truly benefit the creatures living on our planet? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

A myth regarding a shark's power to kill is frequently supported throughout this book.

Part 1) What is this myth? How might it have begun? How was it supported by experts, as described in this book? How else was this myth perpetuated?

Part 2) How did the general public, as well as the victims of these attacks, suffer from this myth? Even after several of these attacks, why did many continue to believe this myth?

Part 3) How might the events in this story have been different if few people still believed in this myth? Do many believe this myth today? Why or why not? How might this affect the frequency of shark attacks and the education of those who swim in shark-infested waters?

(see the answer keys)

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