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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Santiago do when another fish takes the bait on another line?
(a) He laughs at his good luck.
(b) He drops anchor.
(c) He hopes it is small enough to attract other big fish.
(d) He cuts it loose.

2. What does the old man think about a cramp?
(a) It humiliates oneself.
(b) It is something that goes away quickly.
(c) It will make him stop fishing.
(d) It is better than having to vomit.

3. Why does the boy stop fishing with Santiago?
(a) His parents think Santiago's boat is unsafe.
(b) His parents force him to go with a lucky boat.
(c) His parents think Santiago has bad character.
(d) His parents do not want him to go to sea.

4. What is the boy's reaction when the proprietor of the Terrace compliments his catch the day before?
(a) He says to stop talking or it will bring him bad luck.
(b) He says the proprietor should see what the old man caught.
(c) He says to damn his fish and starts crying again.
(d) He says to tell people to go visit the old man.

5. What does the old man call the business of getting the marlin lashed to the skiff?
(a) Dugout work.
(b) Boy Scout work.
(c) Slave work.
(d) Easy work.

6. Why does Santiago always dream about lions?
(a) He dreams about lions eating a huge fish they catch.
(b) Lions make him feel strong and brave.
(c) He has always loved cats because they like fish.
(d) They are something he saw from a ship off the coast of Africa when he was a boy.

7. What does his cramped hand make Santiago think about the boy?
(a) His hand makes a claw that he thinks the boy would find funny.
(b) He thinks the boy would remember how that had happened before.
(c) He thinks how the boy would massage his hand.
(d) He cannot use his hand at all and the boy could take over.

8. His back is already hurting him, and then what begins to give him pain?
(a) The sunlight gives him a headache.
(b) His neck hurts from continually looking down at the water.
(c) He cuts himself with a knife.
(d) His hand cramps.

9. To what does Santiago compare his damaged hands while harpooning the shark?
(a) Joe DiMaggio's bone spur.
(b) The teeth of the shark.
(c) The pain of a sting ray's attack.
(d) Hitting a home run.

10. Santiago hates these sharks because they were something more than killers like the Mako shark. What is that?
(a) Stupid.
(b) Scavengers.
(c) Man eaters.
(d) Ugly.

11. What does Santiago think is unjust but something he must do?
(a) Kill the great fish on the end of his line.
(b) Eat more raw fish to survive.
(c) Act strange for the boy.
(d) Cut the marlin loose and go back saying he had another day of bad luck.

12. What does the old man say he has to eat in his shack?
(a) Sardines and saltine crackers.
(b) Yellow rice and fish.
(c) Coconut and barbecue.
(d) Tuna sandwiches.

13. After he finally gets to the shack and puts down the mast, what does Santiago find?
(a) His bed has been stolen.
(b) A water bottle.
(c) A newspaper with the baseball scores.
(d) A warm beer.

14. What does the tourist woman think she is seeing as she looks at the fish skeleton?
(a) What is left of a shark.
(b) A biology experiment.
(c) A fish that died of starvation.
(d) Evidence of a feast the night before.

15. What does Santiago wish he could show the fish?
(a) His club he would use to kill the fish.
(b) How many fathoms of line he had in the boat.
(c) What manner of man the fish was up against.
(d) How his hand was cramped.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Santiago suddenly realize he has been doing?

2. How does the old man think he could have made better preparation for eating the raw fish?

3. Why does the old man's boat move faster as he nears the land?

4. What two spots does Santiago hit on the first brown shark?

5. As Santiago keeps vigil over his line, what does he wish for?

(see the answer keys)

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