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Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 
 
Critical ReadingIdentify the letter of the choice that best answers the question.
 

 1. 
Why do you think Lynne Cox decided to swim a mile in Antarctic waters?
a.
to win a bet
b.
to prove that she could do it
c.
to improve her strength
d.
to qualify for the Olympics
 

 2. 
Which line from Swimming to Antarctica would logically lead a reader to predict that Lynne Cox's swim would be extremely difficult?
a.
I knew that the weather could suddenly change and the swim would be off.
b.
I wondered if in thirty-two-degree water the water in my cells would freeze ….
c.
Gabriella came in to take a core temperature; it was up to 100.4 degrees.
d.
In the protection of the Antarctic Peninsula, the wind dropped off and the sea grew calmer.
 

 3. 
How does Lynne Cox feel about the mile-long swim before she attempts it?
a.
She is certain she can do it.
b.
She is confident and carefree.
c.
She is nearly paralyzed with fear.
d.
She is fearful and excited.
 

 4. 
In Swimming to Antarctica, what goes wrong in the first moment of the swim?
a.
Lynne Cox's head goes under the water.
b.
Killer whales are sighted swimming nearby.
c.
Lynne Cox hurts her arm.
d.
Lynne Cox swims too slowly.
 

 5. 
Why does Lynne Cox have to change course as she swims?
a.
She needs to find warmer water.
b.
She is heading toward a pod of killer whales.
c.
There are icebergs in the way.
d.
The course she is on is not long enough.
 

 6. 
What does this reaction to her swim reveal about how Lynne Cox feels?

I lifted my head, took a big breath, and shouted, “Barry, I'm swimming to Antarctica!”
a.
She is exhausted and wants to finish.
b.
She is confused about what she is doing.
c.
She is excited and determined to finish.
d.
She knows she is in danger and is warning the others.
 

 7. 
When does Lynne Cox begin swimming strongly?
a.
after fifteen minutes
b.
after twenty-one minutes
c.
when she first enters the water
d.
in the last few seconds of the swim
 

 8. 
Which question can help you predict what will happen when Lynne Cox feels a second current pushing her into the inlet?
a.
Why is there a current in the waters of the inlet?
b.
Will the current change its direction?
c.
Will she become too cold to keep swimming?
d.
Is she strong enough to swim against the current?
 

 9. 
What does Lynne Cox learn later about her swim?
a.
Someone else had already done it.
b.
It could have caused permanent nerve damage.
c.
Nobody thought that she would be able to do it.
d.
She had not actually swum a whole mile.
 

 10. 
How does Lynne Cox feel after she completes her swim?
a.
exhilarated
b.
depressed
c.
let down
d.
unbelieving
 

 11. 
Lynne Cox wanted to swim a mile in Antarctic waters because
a.
she wanted to win a bet.
b.
she wanted to prove that it could be done.
c.
she wanted to prove that women are as strong as men.
d.
she wanted to qualify for the Olympics.
 

 12. 
Which question would help you predict whether Lynne Cox will finish her swim?
a.
How often does Lynne Cox swim?
b.
Has Lynne Cox trained enough in very cold water?
c.
What happens when the body becomes very cold?
d.
Why does Lynne Cox want to swim in Antarctic water?
 

 13. 
What could you predict about Lynne Cox's swim from this line in Swimming to Antarctica?


The water temperature on the big swim would be a degree colder. Thirty-two degrees.
a.
that Lynne Cox would find the swim very difficult
b.
that Lynne Cox would have no trouble with the swim
c.
that Lynne Cox would not be able to complete the swim
d.
that Lynne Cox would suffer permanent damage from the swim
 

 14. 
In Swimming to Antarctica, when does the swim become difficult?
a.
in the first moment, when Lynne Cox's head goes under the water
b.
when killer whales are sighted
c.
partway through the swim, when Lynne Cox's arms become numb
d.
near the end of the swim, when Lynne Cox hits ice as she swims
 

 15. 
Which line reveals Lynne Cox's feelings about her efforts?
a.
All I could do was go back to my room and wait.
b.
I picked out landmarks, places I could aim for, so I'd know if I was on or off course.
c.
I pulled my hands right under my chest so that I was swimming on the upper inches of the sea, trying to minimize my contact with the water.
d.
I lifted my head, took a big breath, and shouted, “Barry, I'm swimming to Antarctica!”
 

 16. 
In this passage from Swimming to Antarctica, why does Mrs. Stokie think it is good for the captain to see what Lynne Cox is doing?


The captain was watching you and he was shaking his head. He was an older man, and he had experienced everything. And now he was seeing something new. It was good for him.
a.
because he knew that he too could do the swim
b.
because he didn't think a woman could swim so far
c.
because his experience and knowledge were being tested
d.
because he learned that the swim could not be done
 

 17. 
Lynne Cox has to change course while she is swimming because
a.
she needs to find warmer water.
b.
she is heading toward a pod of killer whales.
c.
there are icebergs blocking her route.
d.
the course she is on is not a mile in length.
 

 18. 
Which question will help you predict what will happen when Lynne Cox feels a second current pushing her into the inlet?
a.
Why is there a current in the waters of the inlet?
b.
Will the current change its direction?
c.
Will Lynne Cox become too cold to continue swimming?
d.
Is Lynne Cox strong enough to swim against the current?
 

 19. 
What is Lynne Cox's perspective in this passage from Swimming to Antarctica?


If you continue swimming, you're going to cool down even more. Remember how hard you shivered last time? Remember how much work it was? Remember how uncomfortable you were? This is the place where people make mistakes, when they're tired and cold and they push too far into the unknown.
a.
She has gone far enough.
b.
She should try to go on.
c.
She should never have started the swim.
d.
She should take a break.
 

 20. 
Lynne Cox is glad to see the penguins swimming beside her because
a.
they help push her along.
b.
it means that there are no killer whales nearby.
c.
they give her mental and emotional strength.
d.
they let her know she is near shore.
 

 21. 
Lynne Cox's perspective on her swim changes when she learns that
a.
someone had already completed that swim two years earlier.
b.
the swim could have caused permanent muscle and nerve damage.
c.
nobody had believed she could do it.
d.
she had not actually swum a whole mile.
 

 22. 
In Swimming to Antarctica, when Lynne Cox completes her swim she feels
a.
exhilarated.
b.
depressed.
c.
let down.
d.
disbelieving.
 
 
Vocabulary and Grammar
 

 23. 
When does Lynne Cox achieve a state of equilibrium?
a.
when she first enters the water
b.
when she comes out of the water
c.
when her fingers and toes are the same temperature as the water
d.
when she begins swimming quickly toward the glacier
 

 24. 
Why is swimming to Antarctica a novel event?
a.
because no one has done it before
b.
because someone has written a book about it
c.
because it is extremely dangerous
d.
because it took a lot of training
 

 25. 
In which sentence is the underlined word an abstract noun?
a.
The next morning, Susan called me up to the bridge.
b.
I had mixed feelings about the test swim.
c.
Would my core temperature drop faster, more quickly than I could recognize?
d.
I rubbed sunscreen on my face, but not on my arms or legs.
 

 26. 
A prolonged swim in cold water is dangerous because
a.
the body can't handle the pressure from deep water.
b.
the body is chilled for a long time.
c.
the edges of icebergs are very sharp.
d.
the shock of moving from cold to warm temperatures is intense.
 

 27. 
Lynne Cox needed a hand under her head to buffer her because
a.
the wind was blowing hard.
b.
ice had formed in her hair.
c.
her head was bouncing on the bottom of the boat.
d.
she was shivering too hard to stop.
 

 28. 
Lynne Cox's achievement was novel because
a.
nobody had ever done it before.
b.
someone had written a book about it.
c.
it was extremely dangerous.
d.
it took a lot of training.
 

 29. 
Identify an abstract noun in the following sentence.


I stared across the icy water … and felt excitement building within me.
a.
icy
b.
water
c.
building
d.
excitement
 

 30. 
What number of concrete and abstract nouns does the following sentence include?


I choked and felt a wave of panic rise within me.
a.
one concrete, two abstract
b.
two concrete, one abstract
c.
one concrete, one abstract
d.
three concrete, no abstract
 

Essay
 

 31. 
When she starts her swim, Lynne Cox doesn't know that her nerves are damaged and that she is in danger of doing permanent harm to herself. Do you think she would have changed her mind about the swim if she had known this? Write an essay in which you explain your answer. Use details about the author's perspective on her swim to support your answer.
 

 32. 
Lynne Cox has many character traits that help her succeed in her swim. In an essay, explain what these character traits are. Tell how they help her achieve her goal. Include details from the selection that illustrate the traits you describe.
 

 33. 
Lynne Cox has many character traits that enable her to achieve her goal of swimming to Antarctica. In an essay, explain what these traits are and how they help her. Include details from the selection that illustrate the traits you describe.
 

 34. 
Did you predict that Lynne Cox would complete her swim successfully? Write an essay in which you explain your prediction. Include details from the selection that helped you make the prediction.
 



 
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