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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Jack do for most of the Happy Adventure's first voyage?

2. How much did Mowat pay for the boat he bought outside of Muddy Hole?

3. How did the Happy Adventure leave harbor on her first voyage?

4. How did Jack, Mowat, and their friends christen the Happy Adventure?

5. What did Jack believe was the major problem the men faced in repairing the boat?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Mowat finally purchase the boat? Who sold him the boat and under what circumstances?

2. What happened to the Happy Adventure on its first voyage? What was unusual about the boat's departure form the harbor?

3. Why did the crew working on the boat agree to McClelland's plan to streamline purchasing? What did McClelland learn about St. John's?

4. What did McClelland do to reorganize the repair plan for the boat? What was the first thing he decided to change?

5. What did Mowat and McClelland name their boat? Why did they choose this name?

6. What was the Passion Flower? How did it get its name? Why was it important to Mowat?

7. After Mowat and McClelland's boat was repaired, what did Enos do? Why did everyone think this unusual?

8. What did Mowat realize when he arrived in Muddy Hole to take over his boat? Why was Mowat upset and worried?

9. Why did the author have a fear of auctions? How did he find himself at an auction as the story opened?

10. What else besides the necessary tools and supplies did McClelland bring back from the Southern Shore? How did he plan to use this purchase? What actually happened?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Fog played a major role in the story Farley Mowat told about his adventures on the Happy Adventure. What two important kinds of fog were there in the story, and what role did each type play in the story?

Essay Topic 2

Why is the book titled "The Boat Who Wouldn't Float?" What did Mowat mean by this title? Discuss the different meanings the title has to the story.

Essay Topic 3

At one point in the story, the Happy Adventure lost her name and underwent a huge transformation. A christening was held for the boat in the town of St. Pierre. What caused these things to happen? Describe the circumstances, the people involved, and the event that was the climax of the story.

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