View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who do Maturin and Aubrey take on in Cricket?
(a) The team from the La Flèche.
(b) The Admiral's prime team.
(c) Some local sailors.
(d) Other members of the crew from the Leopard.

2. What game does Maturin believe cricket resembles?
(a) Lawn tennis.
(b) Rugby.
(c) Crochet.
(d) Hurley.

3. What seems a possibility to the men after a few days?
(a) They are on the wrong course.
(b) They will start encountering other vessels as they have entered a shipping lane.
(c) Starvation.
(d) They will sight land soon.

4. How does Maturin almost make a serious faux pas?
(a) By forgetting the Captain's name.
(b) By almost missing the Captain's table.
(c) By asking to examine the eye socket of a one-eyed sailor.
(d) By telling the first mate what Maturin thinks of the mate's mother.

5. Why is the La Flèche abandoned?
(a) It is on fire.
(b) It has been captured.
(c) It is overrun by rats.
(d) A couple sailors have the plague.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who have all taken passage in the same boat?

2. What news depresses Aubrey?

3. What happens the first time they sight a vessel?

4. How does Maturin arouse humor among the cricket players and audience?

5. What do the sailors believe when they encounter a vessel?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is Aubrey depressed at the news of the war?

2. Why is it somewhat miraculous that the HMS Leopard pulls into Pulo Batang successfully?

3. Why do you think the USS Constitution leads the Java on a long chase to sea?

4. What are a couple other playful tongue-in-cheek type discussions that firmly entrench the fun tone of the novel?

5. Why do you think the HMS Leopard is being converted to a transport?

6. What surprises Aubrey once he is quartered at Asclepia?

7. Do you think it is helpful for the author to present some background information from other books in the series, particularly the one just preceding this one?

8. Why do you think Aubrey argues so strenuously to retain his lieutenants and midshipmen?

9. How would you respond to being in open sea in an eighteen-foot boat with twelve other people?

10. Do you think it would be difficult for the men to stay optimistic if after spotting a ship but they do not see you?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 949 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample