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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What do the men do in order to prevent water from splashing over the edges of the remaining boats?
(a) They build bigger sails for the boats.
(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 up the sides of each boat.

2. When did English settlers begin arriving in Nantucket?
(a) 1653.
(b) 1659.
(c) 1635.
(d) 1695.

3. How many men are in the small boat when it is first mentioned in the preface?
(a) Eight.
(b) Two.
(c) Five.
(d) Fifteen.

4. How do the men on Pollard's boat respond to the whale's attack?
(a) They attempt to punch the whale.
(b) They attempt to stab the whale.
(c) They throw their provisions overboard.
(d) They jump overboard.

5. According to the Preface, what is the primary reason for whale hunting?
(a) Oil.
(b) Clothing.
(c) Food.
(d) Sport.

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

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

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

9. How many whaleboats are loaded onto the Essex in Chapter 1?
(a) One.
(b) Two.
(c) Three.
(d) Four.

10. How far away in sailing distance from the Essex is the Offshore Ground in Chapter 7?
(a) Two days.
(b) Four days.
(c) Five days.
(d) Three days.

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

12. After seventeen days in the boats, how far have the men sailed at the end of Chapter 7?
(a) One thousand one hundred miles.
(b) Eight hundred and forty miles.
(c) Fourteen hundred and eighty miles.
(d) Two thousand and one hundred miles.

13. In what year does the story take place in?
(a) 1812.
(b) 1810.
(c) 1801.
(d) 1821.

14. After being damaged in the storm, who encourages Pollard to continue with the trip instead of returning to Nantucket?
(a) Only Joy.
(b) Nickerson and Joy.
(c) Only Chase.
(d) Chase and Joy.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. How many miles west of the Galapagos is the Essex on November 2, 1820?

2. What month is it when the island of St. Mary's is sighted off the coast of Chile in Chapter 4?

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

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

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

(see the answer keys)

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