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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What does Steinbeck notice about the sense of time of the local people of Cabo San Lucas?
(a) It is reversed, sleeping during the day and working during the night.
(b) They seem to all walk faster, indicating that they have a faster sense of time.
(c) It seems so different from their own.
(d) There is nothing different about their sense of time and that of the indigents'.

2. What do Steinbeck and Ricketts encounter when they go for a walk in the dark?
(a) A local hospital that treats voyagers for free.
(b) A little boy offering some pearls from the sea.
(c) A store that sells imported cigarettes.
(d) A little cross with a candle lighting it.

3. Who is the chef of the expedition?
(a) Tony.
(b) Sea-Cow.
(c) Tex.
(d) There is no chef mentioned in the story.

4. What is Tex's outstanding characteristic?
(a) He cannot make a left turn.
(b) He loves to sleep in the daytime and do chores at night.
(c) He loves diesel engines.
(d) He is afraid of the water.

5. What is Steinbeck's thesis about origins of names of places, specifically California?
(a) That the first settlers usually name the place after their first born.
(b) That names arise organically from the places themselves as much as they do from any purposeful naming of them.
(c) That names are randomly selected during the full moon.
(d) That names are usually given by the first priest to reside in the place.

6. What do Steinbeck and Ricketts do on Easter Sunday?
(a) They spend the day interviewing applicants to join them.
(b) They spend the day collecting specimen of rare species.
(c) They spend the day swimming, wading and admiring the beauty of the island.
(d) They spend the day bargaining for the new outboard motor with the local shop.

7. On March 18, where does the expedition party end up going when a wind rises before they were able to anchor?
(a) Marina Bay.
(b) Magdalena Bay.
(c) San Diego Bay.
(d) Pescadero Point.

8. What is a Sally Lightfoot crab?
(a) It is a small crab with giant feet, and the name is meant as a private joke among residents of Cabo San Lucas.
(b) It is a female crab which clings to people's feet.
(c) It is a female crab with a very unique tattoo on its shell, shaped like a foot.
(d) It is a particularly agile, small crab which seems to elude every attempt for its capture.

9. Steinbeck worries about the soldiers' reaction to what during their travel?
(a) He is worried that the soldiers might ask to hide in the vessel.
(b) Because of the war, he is worried that the soldiers might not understand the nature of their equipment and the purpose of their travels.
(c) He is worried that the soldiers might want to join them which will result to problems in food and water.
(d) He is worried that the soldiers might ask them to give up their supplies for the war.

10. Which piece of equipment receives positive feedback from the author?
(a) None. Everything was trashed by the author.
(b) The diesel engine.
(c) The diesel engine and the outboard motor.
(d) The outboard motor.

11. Who is the captain of the ship for the expedition?
(a) Tony Berry.
(b) Ed Ricketts.
(c) John Steinbeck.
(d) A World War I veteran.

12. What difference does the section dated March 24 have from the rest of the book?
(a) The crew was not collecting samples, rather just enjoying the island.
(b) Most of it was written by Ricketts, rather than Steinbeck, years before the voyage.
(c) It talks of a certain time outside its present day situation.
(d) It has multiple examples on how a specimen should be handled by scientists.

13. What does the expedition party observe about the town of San Lucas?
(a) That the town has recently suffered a great flood and the town is in disrepair.
(b) That the town drives on the left side of the road.
(c) That the town has several interesting landmarks.
(d) That the town is very much alive and everyone is heading to the ocean.

14. What comparison does Steinbeck often refer to?
(a) Tides and men and their relationship.
(b) Fruits and men and their relationship.
(c) Moon and men and their relationship.
(d) Marine organisms and men and their relationship

15. What limitation does the expedition party have that is particular to their voyage?
(a) They have a limited supply of food and drinks, and medicine, too.
(b) They only have six weeks to complete their entire voyage, on top of constraints presented by the tides.
(c) They have only a small crew compared to other voyages with dozens of crew on board.
(d) They can only sail in the morning because their light is not as powerful as those of the other voyages.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does the crew prefer to catch and eat any other fish than the porpoises?

2. How does Steinbeck describe a scientist's reaction to death of a sea creature?

3. What does the author describe in the story, particularly at the beginning of the book?

4. Why does the author rant about the outboard motor?

5. What do Tiny and Sparky do while they are on watch?

(see the answer keys)

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