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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long does Joy spend on the captain's boat before returning to his own boat and dying?

2. What does the crew on Chase's boat choose to do in order to deal with the unbearable heat in Chapter 8?

3. Why does Joy request to be transferred to the captain's boat when he is close to dying?

4. Where is the Pearl headed with Pollard on board two months after the accident at the French Frigate Shoals?

5. What does Chase encounter at the end of Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to Hendricks' boat?

2. How has has the town of Nantucket changed since the nineteenth century?

3. What is the crew concerned about as it sees land in the beginning of Chapter 9?

4. What idea does Pollard have for sailing out of the calm winds in Chapter 8?

5. What does Chase put in each boat before leaving Henderson Island and why?

6. How does Chase prevent the crew from stealing food in Chapter 8?

7. How does Chase's boat deal with a shark attack?

8. How are Wright, Weeks, and Chappel rescued from Henderson Island?

9. What does the exhibit for the Essex at the Whaling Museum feature?

10. How does Lawrence repair the leak in Chase's boat?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss three setbacks that the crew of the Essex face while attempting to sail towards South America after the ship sinks. Include an analysis of the effects that the setbacks have on the crew's plan, how the crew chooses to approach them, and the actions that they take as a result.

Essay Topic 2

Henderson Island is a key point in the crew's effort to make it to South America.

1) Explain what leads the crew to Henderson Island and why they are confused about the island's identity.

2) Describe the crew's time on the island and the important things that they discover there.

3) Analyze the decision made by three crew members to remain of the island in comparison to the decision made by the majority of the crew to leave.

Essay Topic 3

Nature is a main element of the book and the Essex's voyage. Explain three examples of the effects that nature has on the story and the trip. Include an analysis of how the crew responds to nature and how their responses also have an effect on the book's themes.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 868 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample