Gulliver's Travels — Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Who is the author of Gulliver's Travels?
A. Thomas M. Balliet
B. Richard Sympson
C. Jonathan Swift
D. Lemuel Gulliver

2. In what year was Gulliver's Travels first published?
A. 1700
B. 1726
C. 1800
D. 1900

3. What is the name of the country Gulliver visits in Part I?
A. Brobdingnag
B. Blefuscu
C. Lilliput
D. Nottinghamshire

4. According to the Preface, what group of readers unexpectedly adopted the book as one of their favorite story books?
A. Sailors
B. Politicians
C. Children
D. Teachers

5. What was Gulliver's profession before he began his travels?
A. Soldier
B. Surgeon
C. Schoolteacher
D. Farmer

6. Who does "The First Publisher to the Reader" say is the author of the travel papers?
A. Richard Sympson
B. Thomas M. Balliet
C. James Bates
D. Lemuel Gulliver

7. Where did Gulliver study for two years and seven months to learn physic?
A. Cambridge
B. London
C. Leyden
D. Redriff

8. What happens to Gulliver at the end of Chapter I of the Lilliput voyage, according to the table of contents?
A. He becomes a nardac
B. He is shipwrecked and made a prisoner in Lilliput
C. He escapes to Blefuscu
D. He returns to England

Short Answer

9. According to Richard Sympson's note "The First Publisher to the Reader," what kinds of passages did he remove from Gulliver's original papers, and why?

10. Based on the Preface by Thomas M. Balliet, explain the two different ways the book appeals to readers — what younger children enjoy versus what older readers and adults find interesting.

11. Using details from Chapter I, describe Gulliver's education and training before he went to sea (include at least two schools or places he studied).

---

Answer Key

1. C. Jonathan Swift
2. B. 1726
3. C. Lilliput
4. C. Children
5. B. Surgeon
6. D. Lemuel Gulliver
7. C. Leyden
8. B. He is shipwrecked and made a prisoner in Lilliput

1. Sympson removed passages about winds, tides, variations and bearings in the voyages, the minute description of ship management during storms, and details of longitudes and latitudes. He cut these to fit the work "to the general capacity of readers," since ordinary readers wouldn't need such technical sailing details.

1. Younger children enjoy the book for its wonderful adventures and imaginative new worlds, similar to Robinson Crusoe or a fairy tale, without understanding the political meaning behind it. Older, more mature readers and adults appreciate the keen satire underlying the narrative.

1. Gulliver was sent to Emmanuel College in Cambridge at age fourteen, where he studied for three years. He then became an apprentice to Mr. James Bates, a surgeon in London, for four years, during which he studied navigation and mathematics. Afterward, he studied physic (medicine) at Leyden for two years and seven months to prepare for long voyages.