1. What does the author describe in the story, particularly at the beginning of the book?
(a) The difficulties associated with in planning and preparing for an expedition, as well as the difficulty of finding a good vessel and captain.
(b) The famous sea expeditions in the past, and how long each expedition lasted.
(c) He describes Mexico in great detail, including the politics and legislations of the land.
(d) The major characters of the story, their educational backgrounds, and their family tree.

2. How does John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts pass the time while their boat is being outfitted?
(a) They observe the boats and their fishermen and how the boats reflect their owners.
(b) They sample the local beer and compare it with the others they have tried.
(c) The sample the local dishes and make arrangements for food to be taken out to sea.
(d) They talk to the local fishermen and ask for interesting marine species.

3. Who is Tex?
(a) The leader of the four-string quartet hired for the expedition.
(b) Ed Rickett's son.
(c) The mechanic of the crew.
(d) John Steinbeck's son.

4. How many crew members are signed on for the expedition?
(a) Four.
(b) One.
(c) Two.
(d) Three.

5. Why are the particular dates chosen for an expedition?
(a) The travelling rules have just been lifted which enabled the travelers to journey to sea.
(b) The dates were chosen based on the birthdates of the travelers because they wanted to celebrate at sea.
(c) The expedition had to be done at a time when the travelers' children were vacationing with their grandparents.
(d) The destination, the Sea of Cortez, is known to have dangerous storms that quiet down during the period chosen by the travelers.