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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. As described in Chapter 3, what does each whale boat contain?
(a) A mate and oarsmen.
(b) A mate and a boat steerer.
(c) A boatsteerer and oarsmen.
(d) A mate, a boat steerer, and oarsmen.

2. How far away are the Marquesas from where the crew is in Chapter 6?
(a) Two thousand miles.
(b) Twenty- two hundred miles.
(c) Twelve hundred miles.
(d) One thousand miles.

3. What is the name of the newspaper that includes the article about the Marquesas before the ship sets sail from Nantucket?
(a) New Bedford Standard Times.
(b) New Bedford Community News.
(c) New Bedford Mercury.
(d) New Bedford Gazette.

4. When the men are close enough to attack the whale, what is used in order to pierce its vital organs?
(a) A lance.
(b) A harpoon.
(c) A knife.
(d) An oar.

5. How long do the officers think it will take the crew to reach either Chile or Peru?
(a) Four months.
(b) Two months.
(c) Three months.
(d) One month.

6. How many whale boats does the crew of the Essex lose after the first encounter with two whales in Chapter 3?
(a) Three.
(b) Two.
(c) None.
(d) One.

7. How is Pollard informed to set sail?
(a) He is told directly by the owners of the ship.
(b) He is told by a messenger.
(c) He leaves according to the weather patterns.
(d) He receives a letter.

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

9. How old is Captain George Pollard, Jr. when he boards the Essex in Chapter 2?
(a) Thirty- eight years old.
(b) Twenty- four years old.
(c) Thirty- four years old.
(d) Twenty- eight years old.

10. How experienced is Benjamin Lawrence in harpooning whales?
(a) This is his third whaling trip.
(b) This is his fourth whaling trip.
(c) He is a novice.
(d) He has over ten years of experience.

11. According to one naval architect, what might have helped the Essex withstand the whale's attack?
(a) If the boat was new.
(b) If the boat was smaller.
(c) Nothing could have helped it.
(d) If the boat was bigger.

12. Out of twenty men who witnessed the sinking of the Essex, how many total men survived?
(a) Eighteen.
(b) Eight.
(c) Ten.
(d) Two.

13. Where is the first whale spotted in Chapter 3?
(a) Just before Rio De Janeiro.
(b) At Buenos Aires.
(c) After Buenos Aires.
(d) Halfway between Rio De Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

14. What allows a sperm whale the ability to survive a head on collision with a boat?
(a) It's tail acts as a stabilizer to minimize the impact.
(b) It's body is designed to absorb tremendous shock.
(c) It's speed makes it impervious to the impact.
(d) It's head is shaped like a battering ram.

15. Why does Pollard think that backtracking to the Galapagos Islands is impossible in Chapter 6?
(a) Because of the waves around the islands.
(b) Because of the wind direction.
(c) Because of the uncertainty of how to get back to them.
(d) Because of the distance.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which fictional novel was inspired by the sinking of the Essex?

2. What Ecuadorian city does the Essex stop at during September in Chapter 4?

3. Which of the following is not included in the list of troubles that the bad weather causes for the Essex in Chapter 4?

4. In what year does the story take place in?

5. Which one of the Galapagos Islands is the crew of the Essex on when they discover a leak in the ship?

(see the answer keys)

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