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The Boys in the Boat Chapters 12-16

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Where was the national championship rowing regatta held in 1934?

a)

New York City, New York

b)

Poughkeepsie, New York

c)

Pittsburgh, Pennyslvania

d)

Syracuse, New York

2.

What was interesting about the East vs. West in the 1934 national championship regatta?

a)

Both the East and West had perfectly equal rowing abilities

b)

It was supposed to be a competition between the North and the South but it was changed at the last minute.

c)

The regatta shell boats were a brand new style that had never been used before.

d)

The race was a clash between the rich kids from the East and the poor kids from the West.

3.

Why was Joe embarrassed on the train?

a)

He was the only rower that had a girlfriend.

b)

He had gotten a terrible haircut the week before and had to wear a hat.

c)

His teammates made fun of his music.

d)

He ordered a different meal than everyone else did.

4.

How did the crew react to river rowing on the Hudson during the 1934 regatta?

a)

The found it effortless. It was so much easier than rowing in a lake.

b)

They found it difficult. They were not used to the waves and current patterns of a river.

c)

They found it difficult. They had to fight their way through snow and ice.

d)

They found it to be exactly the same as rowing on a lake.

5.

Who won the freshman race at nationals?

a)

The University of Washington

b)

Syracuse

c)

The University of Kansas

d)

Rutgers University

6.

What event was happening to the Great Plains region during the 1930s?

a)

The Dust Bowl

b)

The Civil Rights Movement

c)

The Space Shuttle Launch

d)

Great Plains Mining Rush

7.

What job did Joe do during the summer before his sophomore year that made him think of George Pocock?

a)

Joe built racing boats for the University of Washington.

b)

Joe cut and split cedar logs.

c)

Joe visited his uncle who also happened to be named George.

d)

Joe went on vacation in English, where George was born.

8.

Why did the sophomore crew frustrate Coach Ulbrickson?

a)

Their performance was inconsistent

b)

They were out of shape and lazy

c)

They never listened to instructions and though they were entitled to do their own thing

d)

He thought they were rowing too fast

9.

How did Thula react to Joe's visit?

a)

She slammed the door in his face and told him to get out and never return.

b)

She apologized for her horrible earlier behavior and begged for his forgiveness.

c)

She made polite small talk, but then she told Joe that he would need to stay out of their lives.

d)

She blamed him for everything that had gone wrong over the last few years and demanded he pay for damages.

10.

Who was the second family member Joe visited?

a)

His father

b)

His grandfather

c)

His brother

d)

His uncle

11.

Why was Coach Al Ulbrickson disappointed at the Poughkeepsie Regatta in 1935?

a)

The train they were riding to New York broke down so the crews missed all of their races.

b)

The star rower of the varsity crew was injured.

c)

The varsity crew lost even through the freshman and JV won

d)

The trophies given out for winning the regatta were cheap and ugly-looking

12.

What is the front of a boat called.....

a)

bow

b)

stern

c)

port

d)

starboard

13.

What is the back of a boat called....

a)

stern

b)

bow

c)

starboard

d)

port

14.

If an athlete stubbornly refuses to listen to a coach, he/she can be described as______________________.

a)

defiant

b)

morose

c)

derelict

d)

professional

15.

If something is run down and falling apart it is dilapidated.

a)

True

b)

False

16.

If someone is happy and carefree, she or he is morose.

a)

True

b)

False

17.

If a person found out some very bad, very sad information, what might be a way to describe his/her emotions?

a)

morose

b)

jolly

c)

defiant

d)

greedy

18.

What was the name for the area of the country that experienced dust storms and severe drought in the 1930s?

a)

The Dust Bowl

b)

Storm Central

c)

Dusty Crusty Country

d)

Dust and Drought Decade

19.

Another expression used to refer to the decade of the 1930s due to the severe drought and dusty conditions in the plains area

a)

Dirty Thirties

b)

Civil Rights Sixties

c)

Thirsty Thirties

d)

Roaring Twenties

20.

What is Al Ulbrickson holding in the photo?

a)

megaphone

b)

oarlock

c)

birthday party hat

d)

racing shell

21.

What adjective best describes the hat in the photo?

a)

nautical

b)

fluffy

c)

dilapidated

d)

morose

22.

Something remarkable and strange is considered_________?

a)

uncanny

b)

morose

c)

dilapidated

d)

nautical

23.

Why were the boys aboard the Empire Builder?

a)

They were taking the Empire Builder across the country to Poughkeepsie, New York, to the national championships.

b)

It was the newest, best racing shell that George Pocock had built.

c)

Luke Skywalker had asked the boys to strike back.

d)

Coach Ulbrickson was taking the crew on vacation after a job well done.

24.

Joe felt embarrassed and humiliated after he played music on the train because his peers made fun of him. What was a nickname they called him?

a)

Rowing Drummer

b)

Cowboy Joe

c)

Crew Cowboy

d)

Musical Man

25.

What was the first inter-collegiate athletic competition?

a)

A rowing race between Harvard and Yale

b)

A basketball game between KU and K-State

c)

A rowing race between the University of Washington and University of California

d)

A football game between Notre Dame and LSU

26.

What year did the first inter-collegiate athletic competition occur?

a)

1852

b)

1952

c)

1812

d)

1756

27.

What became the most prestigious crew race in the country?

a)

The Poughkeepsie Regatta

b)

The Regal Regatta

c)

Portland Prestige

28.

How could the eastern rowers in the 1934 regatta be described?

a)

wealthy and privileged

b)

poor and hardworking

c)

easily angered

29.

What was the name of the University of Washington's shell?

a)

City of Seattle

b)

Rowing Ruby

c)

Wally Washington

d)

City of Washington

30.

How could the western rowers in the 1934 Regetta be described?

a)

hardworking and poor

b)

arrogant and boastful

c)

wealthy and privileged

d)

shy and timid

31.

What was the weather like for the Poughkeepsie Regetta held in 1934 (Chapter 12)?

a)

unbearably hot

b)

ice and snow

c)

windy and cold

d)

rainy and windy

32.

What was The Dust Bowl?

a)

A part of the Great Plains that was suffering extreme drought so that dust and topsoil were getting swept up in the wind and were blowing all over due to the lack of plant growth.

b)

A new type of chili made with black beans and served in a bread bowl

c)

A container to keep dust bunnies is

d)

a new type of vacuum cleaner

33.

What type of wood did George Pocock construct the University of Washington shells out of?

a)

Washington Cedar

b)

Vermont Maple

c)

Oakland Oak

d)

Birmingham Balsa

34.

Why was Washington cedar a good choice for shell boat construction?

a)

It was light, springy, and strong.

b)

It was heavy and held the weight of the boys easily.

c)

It absorbed water easily like paper towels.

d)

It smelled delightful.

35.

A great oarsman needed a balace of_________

a)

ego and humility

b)

biceps and triceps

c)

vocabulary and interview skills

d)

physical strength and woodcarving skill

36.

When Joe revisits his family in Chapter 13, who is shocked by the harshness of Thula's words and heartlessness towards Joe?

a)

Joyce

b)

Roger

c)

Harry (Joe's Dad)

d)

Nellie

37.

Al Ulbrickson said the push to win gold at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 was beginning the night of January 14, 1935.

a)

True

b)

False

38.

Who assured Joe and said, "I've got your back?"

a)

Shorty Hunt

b)

George Pocock

c)

Al Ulbrickson

d)

Roger Morris

39.

At the start of Chapter 15, how many years had passed since Joe had seen his father?

a)

no time at all

b)

twenty years

c)

five and a half years

d)

ten years

40.

Coach Ulbrickson chose which crew to row varsity in the Pacific Coast Regatta that you read about in Chapter 15.

a)

sophomore crew

b)

freshmen crew

c)

junior crew

d)

senior crew

41.

The 1935 Poughkeepsie Regatta (Chapter 16) featured what kind of weather?

a)

Cold, blustery, rainy

b)

Ice and snow

c)

Boiling hot

d)

Thunder, lightning, and tornadoes

42.

In Chapter 15, who won the varsity race in the Pacific Coast Regatta?

a)

The sophomore boat from the University of Washington

b)

The boat of juniors and seniors from the University of California

c)

Both teams had to forfeit due to illness

d)

The University of Washington boat that contained a mix of freshman, sophmores, juniors, and seniors

43.

In Chapter 16, what was causing the sophomore crew members to "fall apart"?

a)

the competition between the sophomores and the JV squad

b)

their boat was old and patched

c)

their coach quit mid-year

d)

They were short an oarsman and could not find a replacement

44.

In Chapter 16, the University of California won the varsity race at the Poughkeepsie Regatta in 1935.

a)

True

b)

False

45.

How many rowers are on one racing shell?

a)

12

b)

9

c)

1

d)

8

46.

What do you call the person that sits in the front of the racing shell and calls directions?

a)

Leader

b)

Coxswain

c)

Captain

d)

Giver

47.

What country held the 1936 Olympic games?

a)

Great Britain

b)

Germany

c)

France

d)

Tokyo

48.

What type of degree is Joe pursuing?

a)

Engineering

b)

Teaching

c)

Dentistry

d)

Broadcasting

49.

They traveled west to Vancouver and toiled at a series of dangerous jobs. Define toiled.

a)

worked hard

b)

worked slowly

c)

worked quickly

d)

worked seldomly

50.

What is the mascot of the University of Washington?

a)

Husky

b)

Dolphin

c)

Lion

d)

Mustang