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"Swallows and Amazons" Part 1 Trivia Quiz

All these questions are on the first book "Swallows and Amazons" which started the wonderful series by Arthur Ransome.

A multiple-choice quiz by Philian. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Philian

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
128,164

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
11 / 15

Plays
484

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. At which farm house were the Walker family staying at the start of the holiday in the Lake District? Hint

Turner's Farm

Dixon's Farm

Holly Howe

Beckfoot

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Question 2 of 15

2. Which of the children had written the longest letter to their father when they asked if they could camp on the island? Hint

Roger

Titty

Susan

John

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Question 3 of 15

3. On the Ship's Articles that they make up for Swallow what rank does Roger get rated at? Hint

Ordinary seaman

Able-seaman

Ship's Boy

Mate

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Question 4 of 15

4. Who does their mother pretend to be when helping to supervise the preparations for the first voyage to the island? Hint

Queen Victoria

The Admiral of the Fleet

Queen Elizabeth I

Lord Nelson

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Question 5 of 15

5. Which famous book did Titty take with her to the island? Hint

"Robinson Crusoe " by Daniel Defoe

"Kidnapped " by Robert L. Stevenson

"Treasure Island" by Robert L. Stevenson

"The Coral Island" by R.M. Ballantyne

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Question 6 of 15

6. Which song did they sing as they set sail for the island? Hint

Rolling Down to Rio

The Drunken Sailor

Tom Bowling

Spanish Ladies

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Question 7 of 15

7. Who is the first of the Walker children to land on the island? Hint

John

Susan

Roger

Titty

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Question 8 of 15

8. On which side of the island is the harbour? Hint

north

east

west

south

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Question 9 of 15

9. From which farm do the children fetch the milk every morning? Hint

Great Gable Farm

Holly Howe

Dixon's Farm

Beckfoot

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Question 10 of 15

10. What did they decide to call the nearby island which had nothing on it but rocks and heather and two dead trees? Hint

The Desert Island

Pirate Island

Cormorant Island

Shark Island

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Question 11 of 15

11. What did Roger and Titty call it when they used to dive to the bottom of the lake and pick up little stones? Hint

Diving for pearls

Diving for wrecks

Diving for gold

Diving for clams

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Question 12 of 15

12. What sort of fish did Roger nearly catch when he shouted out, "It's a shark!"? Hint

A pike

A trout

A roach

A salmon

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Question 13 of 15

13. What do the Walker children actually do when it says "they careened Swallow"? Hint

They set up the sails and ropes in a new way.

They take the boat out of the water and scrub its bottom.

They fill it full of supplies for a new journey.

They tie it up to a motor boat so it can be towed along.

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Question 14 of 15

14. What did John really want when he asked in the shop for "grog"? Hint

Ice-cream soda

Lemonade

Ginger beer

Brandy

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Question 15 of 15

15. What did Roger find lying in the grass the day that the Amazons attacked the camp? Hint

an adder

the ship's anchor

a stone from a sling

a big clasp knife

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. At which farm house were the Walker family staying at the start of the holiday in the Lake District?

Answer: Holly Howe

Holly Howe is based on a real place. The field leading down to the lake is even steeper than you might imagine.

2. Which of the children had written the longest letter to their father when they asked if they could camp on the island?

Answer: Titty

Roger's letter was very short - "Please, daddy, may I too? With love. Roger". Susan didn't write a letter at all. Their mother had written even more than Titty but the children don't know what she said.

3. On the Ship's Articles that they make up for Swallow what rank does Roger get rated at?

Answer: Ship's Boy

Yes, Roger really does start at the lowest rank. In later books he works his way up to able-seaman. He is delighted when the youngest Walker, Bridget, joins the crew in "Secret Water" for that means he is no longer at the bottom.

4. Who does their mother pretend to be when helping to supervise the preparations for the first voyage to the island?

Answer: Queen Elizabeth I

Mrs. Walker is always ready to enter into the spirit of their adventures but is also always sensible about their preparations. She seems like the ideal parent.

5. Which famous book did Titty take with her to the island?

Answer: "Robinson Crusoe " by Daniel Defoe

Later in "Swallows and Amazons" Titty uses her imagination to invent her own Robinson Crusoe life-style on the island. When her mother comes to visit she joins in with Titty's creative play.

6. Which song did they sing as they set sail for the island?

Answer: Spanish Ladies

Lots of times during the stories the children sing sea shanties. Susan points out that they are really setting out "from" England and not towards England as "Spanish Ladies" definitely suggests.

7. Who is the first of the Walker children to land on the island?

Answer: Roger

"She had hardly touched before Roger had jumped ashore with the painter." The painter is the rope they will use to tie Swallow up for safety. Roger in the bows of the Swallow always sees it as his duty to be first to land. Susan is the second person ashore on this occasion.

8. On which side of the island is the harbour?

Answer: south

The map in the end papers shows you the position of Wild Cat island. There is a compass symbol that confirms what Arthur Ransome describes as they sail around the island for the first time.

9. From which farm do the children fetch the milk every morning?

Answer: Dixon's Farm

As soon as they wake up each day on the island the Swallows have to decide who is going to row across to Dixon's Farm for the milk. They usually row across because sailing would take too long. Mrs. Dixon is very friendly but Mr. Dixon is shy.

10. What did they decide to call the nearby island which had nothing on it but rocks and heather and two dead trees?

Answer: Cormorant Island

They name the island after the cormorants that they see fishing there when they get a little closer. Sadly it has been reported that the real island upon which Cormorant Island is based is no longer visited by cormorants.

11. What did Roger and Titty call it when they used to dive to the bottom of the lake and pick up little stones?

Answer: Diving for pearls

It was exciting finding the shining stones. "The worst of it was as soon as the stones were dry - and they dried quickly in the sun - they stopped shining, and could not be counted as pearls anymore."

12. What sort of fish did Roger nearly catch when he shouted out, "It's a shark!"?

Answer: A pike

Arthur Ransome was fascinated by fishing. He wrote lots of stories about this favourite activity. Perhaps the most exciting fishing scene in this series comes in "The Big Six".

13. What do the Walker children actually do when it says "they careened Swallow"?

Answer: They take the boat out of the water and scrub its bottom.

Careening is another idea that they probably got from pirate stories. After a long time in the water barnacles and weeds could attach themselves to the wood and slow down the boat when it sailed. This happened a lot in the waters around the West Indies.

14. What did John really want when he asked in the shop for "grog"?

Answer: Ginger beer

John has got so involved in the chase after the pirate yacht Amazon that he is still living in his imagination. Susan is nearby and saves the situation.

15. What did Roger find lying in the grass the day that the Amazons attacked the camp?

Answer: a big clasp knife

Of course Nancy blames Peggy for losing the ship's knife. "Peggy, you donkey..."

Source: Author Philian

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor minch before going online.
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