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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are dry-balls?
(a) They are the dried cotton balls brought to sea as part of the medicine kit.
(b) They are the biologists who study dead, preserved animals.
(c) They are the dried coconut husks used by the local children to play ball.
(d) They are the medicines given to the expedition party by the locals.

2. Who is the newest team member that joins the expedition party on March 23?
(a) No one.
(b) Frederick.
(c) Ronald.
(d) Robert.

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

4. Why does the author rant about the outboard motor?
(a) Because it has a foul odor.
(b) Because its appearance is not attractive.
(c) Because it has brought them much hardship during the expedition.
(d) Because it is very noisy.

5. Where does the expedition party go on the morning of March 23, Black Saturday?
(a) San Diego Bay.
(b) Magdalena Bay.
(c) San Jose Island.
(d) La Luz Bay.

6. What scientific testing does Steinbeck intend to do on the liquor?
(a) Determine if the aphrodisiac liquor really works.
(b) Determine if the liquor can really substitute the engine fuel.
(c) Test if the seawater will work well with the liquor.
(d) Determine if his crew can drink the liquor instead of the water for two weeks.

7. What do Steinbeck and Ricketts buy that was eventually taken by US customs?
(a) A local liquor that is reputed to be an aphrodisiac.
(b) A local liquor that is reputed to increase alertness when at sea.
(c) A local liquor that is reputed to substitute for fuel.
(d) A local liquor that is reputed to enable men to survive without water for more than a week.

8. What is Tex's outstanding characteristic?
(a) He cannot make a left turn.
(b) He loves to sleep in the daytime and do chores at night.
(c) He is afraid of the water.
(d) He loves diesel engines.

9. What is teleological thinking, as introduced by the author on Easter Sunday, March 24?
(a) It is the thinking that relates men to sea creatures.
(b) It is the thinking that concerns itself with finding a specific cause and effect, and in laying out how things should be.
(c) It is the thinking that dictates how a sea traveler must chart his voyage.
(d) It is the thinking that is dependent on the current events shown on the television.

10. What happens to the porpoises, as observed by Steinbeck and Ricketts?
(a) They do not taste well.
(b) The porpoises have changed from the northern species to a grey, slender, long-nosed species.
(c) They change colors from when they are alive to when they are dead and preserved.
(d) They do not make good subject for photographs.

11. What difficulty does the expedition party encounter when they were collecting specimen in Cabo San Lucas?
(a) The local officials do not want them to take anything away, and suggest instead that they study the specimen while they are ashore.
(b) Collecting specimens is difficult due to the unique characteristics of the species such as the posionous spines of the worms which was hazardous to the activity.
(c) The locals do not want them to go ashore which make collecting specimen an impossibility.
(d) The local policemen require that each should have driver's license, which Steinbeck and Ricketts do not have.

12. What do Steinbeck and Ricketts encounter when they go for a walk in the dark?
(a) A local hospital that treats voyagers for free.
(b) A little boy offering some pearls from the sea.
(c) A little cross with a candle lighting it.
(d) A store that sells imported cigarettes.

13. Who is the captain of the ship for the expedition?
(a) A World War I veteran.
(b) John Steinbeck.
(c) Tony Berry.
(d) Ed Ricketts.

14. What is Steinbeck's thesis about origins of names of places, specifically California?
(a) That the first settlers usually name the place after their first born.
(b) That names arise organically from the places themselves as much as they do from any purposeful naming of them.
(c) That names are usually given by the first priest to reside in the place.
(d) That names are randomly selected during the full moon.

15. What do Steinbeck and Ricketts do to Tiny's prey?
(a) They cut the legs and collect them in a jar filled with water.
(b) They dissect it to learn what they can.
(c) They cut the meat and make a stew out of it.
(d) They crack its shell and use it as soup bowls.

Short Answer Questions

1. There is a struggle for scraps and morsels of food.Who are the participants in the struggle?

2. What examples of marine life does the expedition party collect in Espiritu Santo Island?

3. Aside from their daily experiences during the expedition, what other topics are discussed by the author?

4. What is unique about the expedition described in the story?

5. What concept is consistent throughout the book, including the section dated March 24?

(see the answer keys)

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