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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. How old is Thomas Nickerson when he first boards the Essex?
(a) Sixteen years old.
(b) Eighteen years old.
(c) Fifteen years old.
(d) Fourteen years old.

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

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

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

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

Short Answer Questions

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

2. What month is it when the island of St. Mary's is sighted off the coast of Chile in Chapter 4?

3. What is the equivalent of the amount of food that each man is given in order to ration it for the trip?

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

5. What is the crew hoping for as they enter the Offshore Grounds?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. How is a whale killed by sailors?

5. What is done to the Essex in order to prepare it for the trip?

6. What happens when the Essex tries to leave Nantucket?

7. As stated in the Preface, when, where, and why are sperm whales hunted?

8. What well known island is part of the Society Islands and why should the crew have been aware of it?

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

10. How is Nantucket described in Chapter 1?

(see the answer keys)

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