A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. The old man had gone eighty-four days without catching a fish

A. and he was depressed about it
B. but his hope and confidence had not deserted him
C. and that set an all-time record for the Caribbean town
D. but he dreamed that a marlin was waiting for him the next day
E. and he believed that he was being punished for his sins

_____ 2. One of the old man's fondest wishes was

A. to make the whole town envious of him
B. to buy three boats and go into business
C. to adopt the young boy
D. to retire to the United States
E. to have taken Joe DiMaggio fishing

_____ 3. The old man's most frequent dreams were of

A. lions on the beach
B. his dead wife
C. great dancing fish
D. great occurrences
E. contests of strength

_____ 4. Santiago wanted to be strong in September and October because

A. he loved the World Series so much
B. that's when the big fish ran
C. they all said he was washed up
D. his manhood was in question
E. he had been ill during the summer months

_____ 5. After the big fish took the bait

A. it bit through the line
B. it towed the skiff for several days
C. it dove straight for the bottom
D. its fin knocked all of the provisions overboard
E. it bucked and jumped like a bronco

_____ 6. The one persistent wish of the old man in the skiff was

A. "I wish I were back in my bed."
B. "I wish I had the boy."
C. "I wish I had the strength of the great DiMaggio."
D. "I wish to keep my fear from this big fish."
E. "I wish to wake from this night of horror."

_____ 7. While the big fish was on his line, the old man said,

A. "I will kill you dead before this day ends."
B. "Pull, you devil, I'll never let go."
C. "You liked my bait, now how do you like my hook?"
D. "It's all very much like a merry-go-round."
E. "This fish will treat me to a tour of the oceans of the world."

_____ 8. One of the old man's principal problems was his

A. failing eyesight
B. bone spur
C. excruciating headache
D. angina
E. badly cramped hand

_____ 9. The old man made all of the following statements about the fish, except

A. it was well over one thousand pounds
B. it was longer than his skiff
C. it was more noble and more able than he
D. it was more intelligent than he
E. its sword was as big as a baseball bat

_____ 10. If he could catch the big fish, the old man vowed to

A. retire from deep-sea fishing
B. make a holy pilgrimage
C. share the profits with Manolin, the boy
D. drive into Havana smoking a two-dollar cigar
E. buy a season pass to watch "the great DiMaggio"

11. Discuss the concepts of good and evil in The Old Man and the Sea.

12. Sketch the character of Santiago.

13. Explain the roles of the minor characters in the story.

14. Outline the principal motivating forces in the character of Santiago.

15. Describe the relationship between Santiago and Manolin.

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