Page 3 - 6th Grade Worksheet 5 Exam 1 Revision

D. READING Moby Dick
During the years 1740 -1880 many men hunted the sperm whale. At
the time these whales seemed to be mysterious and dangerous creatures.
According to legend, sperm whales watched for ships and followed them
across the sea. They followed the ships for days. Then suddenly leaping out
of the water, they would attack ferociously, killing many men and
destroying the ships.

Author Herman Melville lived during that time. Melville was a traveler. He
was curious about whales. He traveled in the Pacific, and his story Moby
Dick is based upon the legend. Melville tells of a ship captain who hunts a
great white whale. Ahab hated the whale. He said that it attacked his ship on an earlier voyage and bit
off his leg. Ahab wants revenge, and the story is his search for the whale to destroy it. In the end the
search for Moby Dick destroys Ahab.

Ahab believed that the whale was aware of what it was doing. That is why he hated it. Today, we know
more about whales. Scientists agree that whales are intelligent and aware of many things. They agree
that they interact with humans. But they disagree that they are dangerous to us. Sperm whales are
still called "killer" whales, but they do not attack ships or sailors. Instead, they spend most of their
time deep in the sea.

Yet some mystery remains about these complex creatures. Scientists do not know what they do under
the water, so there is still much about the great animal that is unknown.

I. Answer the questions about the text.
1. What is this passage mainly about?
a. Melville's story about Captain Ahab
b. legends, myths and facts about sperm whales
c. the mystery of sperm whales

2. Which of the following is NOT true about sperm whales?
a. They are intelligent.
b. They live in the sea.
c. They attack ships.

3. Moby Dick bit off Ahab's __________.
a. arm
b. leg
c. hand

4. The passage describes the sperm whale as __________.
a. mysterious and dangerous
b. intelligent and puzzling
c. ferocious and complex

5. What may be one reason sperm whales are called killer whales?
a. Moby Dick destroyed many ships.
b. They were dangerous in the past.
c. Sailors believed they killed people.

6. Another word for ferociously in paragraph 1 is __________.
a. violently
b. calmly
c. slowly