View a FREE sample

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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How long does the crew of the Essex remain by the wrecked ship?
(a) Four nights.
(b) One night.
(c) Two nights.
(d) Three nights.

2. What causes Chase's boat to get a hole in it as they approach another whale on November 20?
(a) The whale's tail hits the boat.
(b) A bolt of lightning strikes the boat.
(c) The harpoon inadvertently crashes into the side of the boat.
(d) Chase kicks the side of the boat out of frustration.

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

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

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

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

7. How much water is each man given per day as the crew attempts to make it to land in Chapter 7?
(a) Three-quarters of a pint.
(b) A quarter pint.
(c) A half pint.
(d) A pint.

8. Why is the crew concerned about the Marquesas?
(a) There are rumors that the inhabitants are cannibals.
(b) They are infested with insects.
(c) Many other sailors have disappeared there.
(d) There are no supplies there.

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) Twenty- eight years old.
(d) Thirty- four years old.

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

11. How many people live in Nantucket in 1819?
(a) Six thousand people.
(b) Five thousand people.
(c) Eight thousand people.
(d) Seven thousand people.

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

13. What is the mood of the men on November 26?
(a) Confused.
(b) Depressed.
(c) Delirious.
(d) Angry.

14. How far away from the first whale sighted do the men position themselves in the boats?
(a) One foot.
(b) Ten feet.
(c) One mile.
(d) Ten miles.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. As described in Chapter 3, what does each whale boat contain?

2. Whose idea is it to stop keeping track of the longitude in Chapter 7?

3. After seventeen days in the boats, how far have the men sailed at the end of Chapter 7?

4. When does the loading of the Essex begin?

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

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 521 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample