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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) One.
(b) Three.
(c) Two.
(d) None.

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

3. How much does the huge whale that appears off the port bow in Chapter 5 weigh?
(a) Fifty tons.
(b) Eighty tons.
(c) Sixty tons.
(d) Seventy tons.

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

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

6. 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 month.
(c) There will be good weather for the next year.
(d) Something horrible is going to happen.

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

8. How many men normally would attempt to approach, harpoon, and kill the whale?
(a) Eight.
(b) Four.
(c) Six.
(d) Two.

9. What is the first thing that the captain and crew of the Dauphin notice when they see the smaller boat?
(a) The men on the ship.
(b) The bones on the ship.
(c) A flag.
(d) A fire.

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

11. Which one of the Galapagos Islands is the crew of the Essex on when they discover a leak in the ship?
(a) Tower Island.
(b) Culpepper Island.
(c) Barrington Island.
(d) Hood Island.

12. How much can sperm whales weigh?
(a) Twelve hundred pounds.
(b) Sixty tons.
(c) Twelve hundred tons.
(d) Six hundred pounds.

13. 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 build up the sides of each boat.
(c) They put weights on each end of the boats to minimize their movement.
(d) They put covers on the tops of the boats.

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

15. Which fictional novel was inspired by the sinking of the Essex?
(a) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
(b) Moby Dick.
(c) The Cruel Sea.
(d) Treasure Island.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where is the first whale spotted in Chapter 3?

2. What do Pollard and Daniel Russell, the captain of the Aurora, discuss in Chapter 4?

3. How far away from the first whale sighted do the men position themselves in the boats?

4. What does the Aurora bring for the crew of the Essex?

5. How far have the men rescued by the Dauphin been sailing at the end of the Preface?

(see the answer keys)

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