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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How many men are in the small boat when it is first mentioned in the preface?
(a) Five.
(b) Two.
(c) Fifteen.
(d) Eight.

2. How many miles west of the Galapagos is the Essex on November 2, 1820?
(a) Less than five hundred.
(b) Over two thousand.
(c) Five hundred.
(d) Over a thousand.

3. How many miles does it take the crew to set and trim the sails of the Essex?
(a) More than ten.
(b) More than nine.
(c) Less than nine.
(d) More than eleven.

4. Which of the following is not included in the list of troubles that the bad weather causes for the Essex in Chapter 4?
(a) It is difficult to raise the whale boats.
(b) There is no stability when cutting up the whale blubber.
(c) It is difficult to lower the whale boats.
(d) Loss of direction.

5. What surprises Nickerson about Chase while they are on the sea?
(a) Chase does not talk to anyone but the captain.
(b) Chase uses force to see that his orders are followed.
(c) Chase has a mild-mannered approach to assigning tasks.
(d) Chase does not appear to understand how a ship works.

6. When does the Essex sail towards the Galapagos Islands in Chapter 4?
(a) October 22.
(b) October 2.
(c) September 12.
(d) September 22.

7. How far away from the first whale sighted do the men position themselves in the boats?
(a) Ten miles.
(b) One foot.
(c) Ten feet.
(d) One mile.

8. What is the first thing that the captain and crew of the Dauphin notice when they see the smaller boat?
(a) The men on the ship.
(b) A flag.
(c) A fire.
(d) The bones on the ship.

9. Which of the following is not taken by the crew as the Essex sinks in Chapter 5?
(a) Tools.
(b) Freshwater.
(c) Pistols.
(d) Fish.

10. How old is Thomas Nickerson when he first boards the Essex?
(a) Fifteen years old.
(b) Eighteen years old.
(c) Fourteen years old.
(d) Sixteen years old.

11. Which weapon does Pollard choose to keep for himself as Chapter 6 ends?
(a) Musket.
(b) Shotgun.
(c) Pistol.
(d) Knife.

12. What does the whale do after hitting the Essex below the anchor in Chapter 5?
(a) It begins swimming in circles around the boat.
(b) It sits on top of the water.
(c) It begins to hammer the boat with its tail.
(d) It swims away.

13. When the men are close enough to attack the whale, what is used in order to pierce its vital organs?
(a) A knife.
(b) An oar.
(c) A lance.
(d) A harpoon.

14. What month is it when the island of St. Mary's is sighted off the coast of Chile in Chapter 4?
(a) January.
(b) March.
(c) April.
(d) February.

15. Before his first whale kill, how many large mammals did Nickerson kill on Nantucket?
(a) An average amount.
(b) None.
(c) Very few.
(d) Many.

Short Answer Questions

1. After being damaged in the storm, who encourages Pollard to continue with the trip instead of returning to Nantucket?

2. How long does it take the whale to revive after the collision before preparing to ram the boat again?

3. Why does Chase hesitate to attack the giant whale when it resurfaces on the starboard after the collision?

4. What do the men do in order to prevent water from splashing over the edges of the remaining boats?

5. After stopping at the Cape Verde Islands in Chapter 3, how many spare whale boats does the Essex now have?

(see the answer keys)

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