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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. Although the inactive volcano offers no means of escape, what does Ned Land find that cheers him up?

2. What happens to save the life of Aronnax?

3. What prevents an escape to American shores?

4. How does Nemo attempt to free the Nautilus?

5. What is Sargasso?

Short Essay Questions

1. Where does Aronnax learn they are when he cannot recognize the landscape?

2. Describe Aronnax's concern about making it to the Pole on time.

3. What is the difficulty for the Nautilus to rise from under the ice?

4. Relate Ned's heightened anxiety after the battle with the giant squid.

5. Explain Aronnax's anxiety over asking for their freedom.

6. Describe what Nemo does to the cachalots that are attacking defenseless whales.

7. After testing how deep the Nautilus can go, describe what happens.

8. What goes on while Ned, Conseil, and Aronnax are escaping in the small boat?

9. Describe the light reflecting off the ice as seen from inside the Nautilus and the problem it creates.

10. What are the final escape plans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on metaphor and simile in TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. To do this, you will need to find examples in the novel to evaluate as to their appropriateness and how they add to understanding the meaning behind the words. Include an assessment of how these literary devices add color to the reading.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay about how plans often do not work out. Use the many escape plans of Ned Land that never came to fruition. Discuss how this is often true in real life that plans do not work out the way they were conceived.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the importance of research in writing a novel. Evaluate the importance of fact and historical reference to make a story believable. Also mention the part folklore and superstition play in making a novel both interesting and believable. Discuss how a writer like Verne can describe accurately such things as harpooning a whale without ever having had the experience personally.

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This section contains 827 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample