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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where is the first whale spotted in Chapter 3?
(a) After Buenos Aires.
(b) At Buenos Aires.
(c) Just before Rio De Janeiro.
(d) Halfway between Rio De Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

2. 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) Three.
(d) Two.

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

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

5. What does the Aurora bring for the crew of the Essex?
(a) Letters from home.
(b) More food.
(c) Sailors and boats.
(d) More weapons.

6. Which provisions does the crew of the Essex plan to purchase at the Azores?
(a) Vegetables and weapons.
(b) Vegetables and livestock.
(c) Vegetables, livestock, and weapons.
(d) Livestock and weapons.

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

8. 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) The harpoon inadvertently crashes into the side of the boat.
(c) The whale's tail hits the boat.
(d) A bolt of lightning strikes the boat.

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

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

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

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

13. In 1810, how many women over the age of twenty- three are widowed?
(a) Almost half.
(b) Almost a quarter.
(c) Over a quarter.
(d) Over half.

14. What is the crew hoping for as they enter the Offshore Grounds?
(a) Another whale.
(b) Stronger winds.
(c) Another whale ship.
(d) Weaker winds.

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

Short Answer Questions

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

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

3. What type of whale attacks Pollard's boat in Chapter 7?

4. How experienced is Benjamin Lawrence in harpooning whales?

5. How do the men on Pollard's boat respond to the whale's attack?

(see the answer keys)

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