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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the product of the ugly palms Darwin sees going up the mountain?
(a) fiber for making ropes
(b) thatching for shack roofs
(c) large dates used to feed cattle
(d) sweet sap from which syrup is made

2. What does Darwin see from the Blue Mountains?
(a) tall trees growing in the valleys below
(b) cliffs with magnificent views of a harbor
(c) many ships sailing around the continent
(d) vast areas of farmland

3. What are the Kauai pine?
(a) pitiful cries of mountain wildcats
(b) trees that once grew all over the land
(c) trees as large as giant redwoods
(d) gnarled brush that covers the land

4. What keeps Darwin on board the Beagle after it sails to Lima?
(a) a cholera epidemic in Peru
(b) his weakened health
(c) the political unrest in Peru
(d) his lost passport

5. What notable landmark does Darwin see on St. Helen's Island?
(a) Napoleon's tomb
(b) Cleopatra's villa
(c) the Lighthouse of the Ancient Mariner
(d) the statue of the Little Mermaid

6. What does Darwin write about the Chilean miners?
(a) They are allowed to keep part of what they mine.
(b) They work long hours and enjoy life.
(c) They spend all their money on drink and clothes.
(d) They get paid large salaries.

7. What theory about volcanic activity and earthquakes does Darwin form that is years ahead of his time?
(a) fissures run along the same direction as the earthquake fault line
(b) fault lines come from underwater volcanoes
(c) volcanic activity has nothing to do with earthquakes
(d) volcanoes create fault lines in the earth

8. What does Darwin discover at the saltpeter mine?
(a) hot springs
(b) crystal formations
(c) nothing remarkable
(d) thistle forests

9. What social condition does Darwin argue against at the end of his book?
(a) slavery
(b) poverty
(c) war
(d) isolationism

10. What does Darwin say is too great and ambitious for affection, yet not great enough for respect?
(a) New Zealand
(b) Tahiti
(c) Australia
(d) Tasmania

11. Where does Darwin find olive and orange trees and many varieties of vegetables?
(a) at the Bay of Valparaiso
(b) in the Valley of Paradise
(c) on the sides of Mount Compana
(d) in the Market of Santiago

12. What does the host at the Hacienda de San Isidro provide for Darwin?
(a) clothes more suitable for the weather
(b) maps of the Chilean coastline
(c) a secretary to transcribe his notes
(d) a fresh horse and a guide

13. Why do Darwin and Mariano Gonzales take ten pack mules on the trek across the Andes?
(a) in case they become snowed in
(b) in case they stay longer than planned
(c) in case they have to hire extra guides
(d) in case they get lost

14. How long has Darwin been at sea by the time he visits New Zealand?
(a) nine months
(b) three years
(c) four years
(d) a year and a half

15. What causes massive destruction and takes many lives at Valdavia?
(a) a cyclone
(b) landslides off the mountains
(c) huge tsunamis
(d) the eruption of several volcanoes

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Darwin discover on the way back to Chile by way of the Uspallata pass north of Mendoza?

2. Where does Darwin prepare to cross the Andes Mountains through the Portillo pass?

3. What is at the center of the atoll called Keeling Island?

4. Leaving Lima, where does the Beagle sail?

5. Where does Darwin see plants and animals similar to what he saw on the plains of Patagonia?

(see the answer keys)

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