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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 2.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Compared to the other seventy Nantucket whale ships, how is the Essex considered?
(a) Old, small, and lucky.
(b) New, big, and lucky.
(c) Old, big, and lucky.
(d) New, small, and lucky.

2. How many miles does it take the crew to set and trim the sails of the Essex?
(a) More than ten.
(b) More than eleven.
(c) More than nine.
(d) Less than nine.

3. As described in Chapter 1, what does the sighting of a comet indicate?
(a) Something horrible is going to happen.
(b) There will be good weather for the next year.
(c) There will be good weather for the next month.
(d) Something unusual is going to happen.

4. How are sailors paid?
(a) According to how many whales they have killed.
(b) According to their rank.
(c) According to their time at sea for each trip.
(d) According to how many whales they have killed and captured.

5. When does the loading of the Essex begin?
(a) July 15.
(b) August 5.
(c) July 5.
(d) August 15.

Short Answer Questions

1. When did English settlers begin arriving in Nantucket?

2. How long are the shifts that each man serves on watching the decks during the evenings in Chapter 2?

3. How old is Captain George Pollard, Jr. when he boards the Essex in Chapter 2?

4. How many men normally would attempt to approach, harpoon, and kill the whale?

5. How long does the average hunt for a sperm whale take?

(see the answer key)

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