Jewels from the Sea

The setting for the selection Jewels from the Sea is:

• A lake in southern California.

• An island off the coast of eastern Africa.

• The north pole.

• The coast of Western Italy.

Based on the selection, one word to describe the people of Zanzibar might be:

• Unhappy

• Lazy

• Happy

• Impoverished (poor)

What problem did the people of Zanzibar face in the early 2000's?

• Their island became inhabited with snakes.

• The price of fuel had tripled.

• The oysters were running out.

• The Sudan began its civil war.

Who helped the women of Zanzibar manage the way oysters were harvested?

• Marine scientists in the area.

• An army detachment encamped nearby.

• Some cool skateboarders who lived there.

• A mortician from Detroit.

Before using the mabe oyster shells for jewelry, the women did what with them?

• Stuffed pillows with them.

• Threw them away.

• Threw them at monkeys.

• Sold them to China.

Who pointed out to the women of Zanzibar that oyster shells might be valuable?

• A strange Russian ship captain.

• Former California governor Jerry Brown.

• Nobody. It was always valuable to them.

• Visiting experts.

True/False: The women of Zanzibar quickly began making more money from selling polished oyster jewelry than selling shells, oysters, and fish.

• True

• False

What important thing did the women of Zanzibar do to control their business?

• Threaten any potential rivals.

• Join forces and cultivate mabe pearls.

• Begin to focus only on fishing.

• Stop allowing outsiders on their island.

The plan to cultivate mabe pearls included what?

• Become vegetarians.

• Import cheap pearls from South Korea.

• Only sell to people that they like.

• Ensure that "no-take" zones would allow the oysters to replenish themselves.

According to the selection, there was one huge problem the women of Zanzibar faced when cultivating oysters.

• The women couldn't swim.

• Cultivating oysters was illegal, and punishable by a huge fine.

• Nobody had scuba equipment.

• Cultivating oysters is boring.