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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. What did Pi discover, days after the tiger started rubbing his eyes and meowing?

2. What did Pi call the tiger's snorting in and out?

3. What sea creatures were around the boat most of the time?

4. Since Pi had no bait, what did he cut up to fish with in the morning, after his leather shoe was unsuccessful?

5. What did Pi bring to the tiger in the morning after they had both had a restless night's sleep?

Short Essay Questions

1. In Part 2, Chapter 90, how did another man enter the story?

2. What did Pi really achieve by studying the navigational directions in the survival manual in Part 2, Chapter 65?

3. The author discusses Pi's maintenance of his religious practices in Part 2, Chapter 74. Discuss Pi's religious reaction to his predicament.

4. Discuss the "dream rag," first discussed by Pi in Part 2, Chapter 87.

5. How did Pi's daily routine start showing through in Part 2, Chapter 62, a week since the ship sank?

6. In Part 2, Chapter 80, Pi started spending more time on the lifeboat. Why?

7. In Part 3, Chapters 98 and 99, the Japanese officials interviewed Pi about his story. Why do you think that the officials did not believe Pi?

8. In Part 2, Chapter 79, Pi was entertained by the tiger's behavior with the sharks. Explain.

9. Discuss the encounter with the other ship in Part 2, Chapter 86.

10. In Part 2, Chapter 57, readers have their first encounter with "Prusten." What is it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the definition of a hero? Is there a hero in this story? If so, who is it? If not, why not? Support your answers with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

When Pi finds the first island, he leaves it out of fear of the island being cannibalistic. Discuss what the symbolism of this island is to Pi and to the overall story.

Essay Topic 3

Pi learns he must out-smart the tiger, because he is unable to out-muscle him. Describe, using specific examples from the book, some ways that you believe Pi out-smarts the tiger. How does the tiger not know what Pi is doing? Is the tiger dumber then Pi? Does the tiger focus on different things then Pi? Did the tiger allow himself to be outsmarted?

(see the answer keys)

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