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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. After the whale is captured, what is the next step?
(a) estimating its weight.
(b) removing its skin.
(c) cutting off its head and tail.
(d) hauling it back to the ship.

2. What does Ishmael say is the saddest thing about any man, no matter how bad he is?
(a) a man who disobeys orders.
(b) a man who has lost his valor.
(c) a man who thinks he knows everything.
(d) a man who kills for sport.

3. What strange thing does Ahab do looking at the head of the captured whale?
(a) he speaks to it.
(b) he drives a harpoon through it.
(c) he watches it all night long.
(d) he curses it.

4. What is Ishmael's profession before signing on the whaling ship?
(a) merchant marine.
(b) schoolmaster.
(c) newspaper reporter.
(d) bank clerk.

5. What accommodation is available for Ishmael at the inn in New Bedford?
(a) a closet.
(b) a bench in the dining room.
(c) a shared room with a harpooner.
(d) a bunk in a communal room.

Short Answer Questions

1. When the whale is harpooned, what action do the harpooner and the chief mate take?

2. Why does Ishmael advise against putting intellectual men on watch?

3. What is the theme of MOBY DICK?

4. Who is the chaplain of the whaler's place of worship?

5. At the Try Pots Inn in Nantucket, what is the staple menu?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ishmael inform the reader about the process of whale hunting?

2. Explain the function of the "monkey" on board a whaling ship.

3. Why does Ishmael soon lose his astonishment over Queequeg in New Bedford?

4. How complicated is the process of harvesting the whale blubber?

5. How does Ishmael happen to share a bed with a tattooed headhunter?

6. Explain why Ishmael decides to book himself on a whaling ship.

7. Explain the startling thing that Ishmael learns about his friend, Queequeg.

8. What is the surprise the men of the Pequod get when they spot their first whale and begin to lower the boats?

9. Explain the importance of Chapters 45 and 46 in understanding the enemy Captain Ahab is up against.

10. Detail the problems of holding a whale overnight tied to the side of the ship.

(see the answer keys)

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