Review of Olaudah Equiano

In the beginning of the selection from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, what does Equiano describe as causes of the intolerable smell on the ship? Choose three options.

• The Africans were made to wash with unfamiliar soap.

• The Africans were only given raw fish to eat.

• The Africans were forced to relieve themselves in open tubs.

• The Africans were hot and perspired heavily.

• The Africans were crowded in next to cattle and sheep.

Tags

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.11-12.1

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

In the selection from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, 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.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

Read this quotation from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. One day, when we had a smooth sea and moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together … made through the nettings and jumped into the sea; immediately, another quite dejected fellow, who, on account of his illness, was suffered to be out of irons, also followed their example.… Why do these 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.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

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.

• They will be eaten.

• They will be freed.

• They will be beaten.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

In this selection from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, what becomes of Equiano and the other Africans when they are taken ashore in Barbados?

• They are sold into slavery.

• They are hired by merchants.

• They are sent home to Africa.

• They are freed by the government.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

If a person can accurately be described as loathsome, which of the following must be true?

• He causes other people to become timid.

• He knows few people in the community.

• He does not spend money on friends or family.

• He turns others away due to his repulsive behavior.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

If a person can accurately be described as wretched, which of the following must be true?

• She is unable to learn a lesson.

• She is homesick while traveling.

• She is trapped in a miserable situation.

• She is dissatisfied with what she is studying.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Which of the following is most likely to make a person feel dejected?

• being cautioned about a bad decision

• experiencing a painful cut or bruise

• following someone else’s directions

• hearing an unkind comment from a friend

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Read these sentences from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano.

One day [the white slave traders] had taken a number of fishes; and when they had killed and satisfied themselves with as many as they thought fit, to our astonishment who were on deck, rather than give any of them to us to eat, as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish into the sea again, although we begged and prayed for some as well as we could, but in vain….

Which of the following is the most likely reason the author included this event in his narrative?

• to explain why the African slaves were so hungry

• to contrast the slave traders’ skill with the Africans’ helplessness

• to emphasize that the slave traders saw the Africans as human beings

• to show the slave traders’ cruelty in the face of the Africans’ dire need

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.10

CCSS.RI.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

Which answer choice best describes the author’s main reason for writing The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano?

• to make people aware of the cruelty of slavery

• to make people aware of the need for fresh air

• to make people aware of the rigors of crossing the sea

• to make people aware of the dangers of overcrowding on ships

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.6

CCSS.RI.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.11-12.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

CCSS.RL.9-10.6