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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What time does Chase order the men to prepare the ship for whaling in Chapter 2?
(a) Seven a.m.
(b) Nine a.m.
(c) Six a.m.
(d) Eight a.m.

2. Who persuades Pollard to sail to Chile or Peru instead of the Society Islands?
(a) Only Joy.
(b) Only Chase.
(c) Chase and Joy.
(d) No one.

3. On which country's coast is the Dauphin traveling when it spots the smaller boat?
(a) Venezuela's.
(b) Chile's.
(c) Argentina's.
(d) Brazil's.

4. How long are the shifts that each man serves on watching the decks during the evenings in Chapter 2?
(a) Six hours.
(b) Four hours.
(c) Two hours.
(d) Eight hours.

5. When did ships from Nantucket first start rounding Cape Horn?
(a) 1791.
(b) 1781.
(c) 1718.
(d) 1719.

6. What do the men do in order to prevent water from splashing over the edges of the remaining boats?
(a) They build up the sides of each boat.
(b) They put weights on each end of the boats to minimize their movement.
(c) They put covers on the tops of the boats.
(d) They build bigger sails for the boats.

7. Which of the following is not included in the list of supplies that are loaded onto the Essex as it prepares for the journey in Chapter 1?
(a) Freshwater.
(b) Firewood.
(c) Rifles.
(d) Food.

8. What discovery does the crew make on November 26?
(a) They are sailing towards South America.
(b) They are very close to South America.
(c) They sailed past South America.
(d) They are sailing parallel to South America.

9. How long does the average hunt for a sperm whale take?
(a) One to two years.
(b) Six months to a year.
(c) Two to three years.
(d) One to two months.

10. How is the whale towed back to the ship after it is killed in Chapter 3?
(a) Tail first.
(b) On its side.
(c) On its back.
(d) Head first.

11. How many masts does the Essex have as it sets sail in Chapter 2?
(a) Two.
(b) Four.
(c) Three.
(d) Five.

12. What do scholars speculate might have caused the whale to attack the Essex?
(a) The whale is territorial and protecting its waters.
(b) The clicking sound that Chase makes while repairing his boat.
(c) The yelling of the men while attempting to kill another whale.
(d) The boat's attack on other whales that are observed by the large whale.

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

14. How long is it in between whale sightings in Chapter 3?
(a) Several months.
(b) Several days.
(c) Several weeks.
(d) Several hours.

15. How far have the men rescued by the Dauphin been sailing at the end of the Preface?
(a) Twenty- five hundred nautical miles.
(b) Forty- five hundred nautical miles.
(c) Fifty- five hundred nautical miles.
(d) Thirty- five hundred nautical miles.

Short Answer Questions

1. How do Pollard and Chase react to the way the men take the Essex out to sea?

2. When does the loading of the Essex begin?

3. Which of the following is not taken by the crew as the Essex sinks in Chapter 5?

4. As the frustrations grow on the Essex, what complaint do the men bring to Pollard at the end of Chapter 3?

5. How much does the huge whale that appears off the port bow in Chapter 5 weigh?

(see the answer keys)

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