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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

3. How long is the huge whale that appears off the port bow in Chapter 5?
(a) Seventy- five feet long.
(b) Sixty -five feet long.
(c) Eighty- five feet long.
(d) Ninety- five feet long.

4. What do the men do in order to prevent water from splashing over the edges of the remaining boats?
(a) They build up the sides of each boat.
(b) They build bigger sails for the boats.
(c) They put weights on each end of the boats to minimize their movement.
(d) They put covers on the tops of the boats.

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following is not included in the list of supplies that are loaded onto the Essex as it prepares for the journey in Chapter 1?

2. When does the Essex sail towards the Galapagos Islands in Chapter 4?

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

4. What is the name of the newspaper that includes the article about the Marquesas before the ship sets sail from Nantucket?

5. How long does the crew of the Essex remain by the wrecked ship?

Short Essay Questions

1. What setbacks are the three boats having as they approach the Society Islands at the end of Chapter 7?

2. What happens when the Essex meets the Aurora?

3. How does the crew initially respond to the sinking of the Essex?

4. What modifications are made to the whale boats in the beginning of Chapter 6?

5. What is unusual about the sperm whale that surfaces unexpectedly in Chapter 5?

6. How is Nantucket described in Chapter 1?

7. What happens when the first whale of the trip is sighted?

8. What troubles is the Essex having at Cape Horn and off the coast of Chile?

9. What events take place on Hood Island at the end of Chapter 4?

10. What complaint does the crew bring to Pollard at the end of Chapter 3, and how does he handle it?

(see the answer keys)

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