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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. When does the Essex sail towards the Galapagos Islands in Chapter 4?
(a) October 2.
(b) September 12.
(c) October 22.
(d) September 22.

7. What is the equivalent of the amount of food that each man is given in order to ration it for the trip?
(a) Six slices of cheese.
(b) Six slices of bread.
(c) Eight slices of cheese.
(d) Eight slices of bread.

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

9. What month is it when the island of St. Mary's is sighted off the coast of Chile in Chapter 4?
(a) January.
(b) April.
(c) February.
(d) March.

10. What is the name given to the event of a harpooned whale dragging a boat at high speeds?
(a) Nantucket speeder.
(b) Nantucket pull through.
(c) Nantucket sleigh ride.
(d) Nantucket drag along.

11. What is Nickerson's response to the captain's approach in introducing himself to the crew?
(a) He is confused.
(b) He is impressed.
(c) He is surprised.
(d) He is inspired.

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

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

14. Why does Chase hesitate to attack the giant whale when it resurfaces on the starboard after the collision?
(a) He is worried the tail will destroy the steering device.
(b) He is ordered to halt by Pollard.
(c) There are no weapons nearby.
(d) He is afraid because of the size of the whale.

15. Why does Pollard choose the Society Islands as the crew's destination?
(a) He has been there before.
(b) They are closer.
(c) They are safer.
(d) He has friends that live there.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long does it take the whale to revive after the collision before preparing to ram the boat again?

2. Which well known island is mentioned in Chapter 6 as a part of the Society Islands that the Nantucketers should have known about?

3. When the men are close enough to attack the whale, what is used in order to pierce its vital organs?

4. What is causing the thirst of the men on Chase's boat to become even worse in Chapter 7?

5. In 1810, how many women over the age of twenty- three are widowed?

(see the answer keys)

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