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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why do the other fishermen think of the sea in the masculine, el mar?
(a) They like to think of themselves being as strong as the sea.
(b) They take shark livers from the sea.
(c) They see it as a dangerous enemy.
(d) They see it as a generous man.

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

3. What does Santiago fear if he does not sleep after two days?
(a) That he might die.
(b) That he will fall asleep and go overborad.
(c) That he will become unclear in the head.
(d) That the marlin will come up slowly and eat his dolphin.

4. What is the one thing not beautiful about the Mako shark?
(a) His dorsal fin.
(b) His movements.
(c) His color.
(d) His jaws.

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

6. How long had their last dry spell lasted before the old man and the boy caught some good fish?
(a) 64 days.
(b) 67 days.
(c) 84 days.
(d) 86 days.

7. What happens by midnight as Santiago returns to the land?
(a) He is able to fight off the sharks in the dark.
(b) The sharks leave as he gets near the city.
(c) His hands are well enough to use both of them with the club.
(d) The sharks come in a pack to get the rest of the marlin.

8. What is Santiago doing when the boy returns to his shack?
(a) He is looking for something to eat.
(b) He is reading the baseball scores.
(c) He is still sleeping.
(d) He is making a new harpoon.

9. What does the old man conclude defeated him?
(a) Nothing. He only went too far out.
(b) The broken knife blade.
(c) His cramped left hand.
(d) Not having the boy with him.

10. What does Santiago plan to do to change his luck?
(a) He plans to row far out to fish.
(b) He buys a new sail for his boat.
(c) He takes his lucky charms with him.
(d) He gets the priest to bless his boat.

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

12. What makes the flying fish jump out of the water and scatter feverishly?
(a) A shark.
(b) The man-of-war bird circling overhead.
(c) Dolphins.
(d) The rising sun.

13. Something brings Santiago out of his reverie. What is it?
(a) Something tugging at his line.
(b) The wind gets stronger.
(c) A dolphin jumps over his boat.
(d) The man-of-war bird lands on his boat.

14. How do you know Santiago had never been up in a plane?
(a) He thinks planes are the same size as flying fish.
(b) He says out loud that he would never get on one of those things.
(c) He hardly glances at the plane as it goes over.
(d) He wonders what the sea looks like from that height.

15. What brings the shark towards Santiago's boat?
(a) A dark cloud of blood from the marlin.
(b) A school of dolphins following the boat.
(c) The flying fish jumping along side the boat.
(d) The sound of Santiago talking out loud.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many times does the old man have to stop and sit down on his way to his shack?

2. What simile does Hemingway use to show the boy's admiration for Santiago?

3. How does the boy act defensively about Santiago as the fishermen look at the marlin's skeleton?

4. What does the tourist woman think she is seeing as she looks at the fish skeleton?

5. Obviously a very large fish that is caught on Santiago's line. What does the fish do all night long?

(see the answer keys)

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