Equiano Practice

Why is Equiano allowed to stay on the deck rather than kept below like most of the other Africans?

• He is sick.

• He is very young

• He is liked by the sailors.

• He is helpful in sailing the ship.

Why do the three Africans jump from the ship?

• They think they can escape by swimming to shore.

• They have suffered so much that they cannot think clearly.

• They are afraid of being severely beaten for trying to steal food.

• They consider death preferable to continued suffering aboard the ship.

In this selection from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, what is the Africans’ first thought about what will happen when they reach Barbados and are examined by the merchants? They will be..

• fed

• eaten

• freed

• beaten

What happens to Equiano and the other Africans when they are taken ashore in Barbados?

• Sold into slavery.

• Hired by merchants.

• Sent home to Africa.

• Freed by the government.

Read this excerpt from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano.

One day, the white slave traders tossed the remaining fish into the sea, despite our pleas for some to eat….

Why did the author include this event in his narrative?

• To explain why the slaves were hungry

• To contrast the traders’ skill with the slaves’ helplessness

• To emphasize that the traders saw the slaves as human beings

• To show the traders’ cruelty in the face of the slaves’ need

What is the main reason for writing The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano?

• to highlight the cruelty of slavery

• to emphasize the need for fresh air

• to describe the hardships of sea travel

Read the following passage from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. How does this passage help readers understand the Africans?

During our passage, I first saw flying fishes, which surprised me very much; they used frequently to fly across the ship, and many of them fell on the deck. I also now first saw the use of the quadrant; I had often with astonishment seen the mariners make observations with it, and I could not think what it meant.

• It shows that they were easily impressed by the most common events.

• It shows that they were eager to learn and adapt to their new circumstances.

• It shows that they had been poorly prepared for their lives in the white world.

• It shows that they had been taken into a world completely beyond their experience.

Which quotation from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano contains the best example of using factual details to support an emotional appeal?

• Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much more happy than myself.

• I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as often wished I could change my condition for theirs.

• This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded than ever, that I was in another world, and that every thing about me was magic.

• On a signal given (as the beat of a drum), the buyers rush at once into the yard where the slaves are confined, and make choice of that parcel they like best.…

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is a slave narrative. Which quotation from this text makes the best use of strong descriptive language to create an emotional appeal?

• Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much more happy than myself.

• I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as often wished I could change my condition for theirs.

• This heightened my wonder; and I was now more persuaded than ever, that I was in another world, and that every thing about me was magic.

Which sentence best represents the eighteenth-century narrative style?

• A lad volunteered his service and was sent to the forest to find wood for the fire.

• Once the fire warmed the room, the group removed their coats and gathered around the table.