Student Name: ___________________________________ Date: ___________

Directions: Use the RUNNERS strategy to answer the following questions. Make sure that you prove
where you found your answers. Take your time and do your very best!

The Adventures of Alexander Selkirk

by Paul Grant

1 Many of the best stories are based on real life. When the whaling ship Essex was destroyed by a
large sperm whale, Herman Melville wrote his novel, Moby Dick. After hearing Civil War veterans talk
about their time in war, Stephen Crane wrote his well-known novel The Red Badge of Courage. Still
today, many novels, movies, and television shows are shown with a subtitle that states “Based on
true events.” The act of changing truth to fiction even includes the very first English novel, Robinson
Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.

2 In Robinson Crusoe, Robinson is shipwrecked and washed ashore on an island in the middle of the
Atlantic Ocean. He is stranded on the island for many years. Robinson is a smart man. He learns to
hunt wild game, to farm wild fruits and vegetables, and to raise wild goats. He also discovers a
dangerous group of cannibals who he must avoid at all costs. In the end, Robinson finds a way off
the island when he meets an English captain who has been forced off his ship by his own crew.
Robinson helps the captain take his ship back from the mutinous crew, and returns to civilization.

3 The story of Robinson Crusoe is mostly fiction, but it is based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk.
During a trip to the South Seas in 1703, Selkirk’s ship, the Cinque Ports stopped at a small
uninhabited island to restock its fresh food and water. Before the ship set sail again, Selkirk noticed
that it was badly in need of repairs. He decided that he would rather stay on the island than get back
on the ship. Selkirk was afraid the ship would fall apart at sea, and he felt sure he would not have to
wait long for another ship to stop by the island. He couldn’t have been more wrong. He was stuck on
the island alone for more than four years. The good news for Selkirk was that a short time after the
ship left him behind it sank, losing almost everyone onboard. If he’d stayed onboard, he’d have
almost surely died.

4 During his time on the island, Alexander Selkirk used many of the survival skills written about in
Robinson Crusoe. He learned to handle wild goats for meat and milk, and he learned to farm wild
vegetables and fruits he found. Also, Selkirk tamed several wild cats to protect him from rats and
other small animals that posed a threat to him. Selkirk built a hut from trees on the island, and he
made clothing from animal hides.

5 After four years, he was finally discovered by an English ship. The Duke arrived much as the Cinque
Ports had four years earlier. The men onboard were tired, and they were desperate for fresh food
and water. Selkirk was so kind and considerate. He offered to help the sick and tired sailors. He
hunted and killed a few goats a day and shared his fresh vegetables and fruits with the crew. Once
the crew’s health returned, the Duke set sail and returned Alexander Selkirk to the world.
6 The story of Robinson Crusoe makes a great book. But it is a mostly made-up story based on a true
story. If you want to read the real story of Robinson Crusoe, do yourself a favor and learn about the
adventures of Alexander Selkirk.

6-2.1
1. What is the main idea of paragraph 1?

A The novel Robinson Crusoe was based on a true story.

B Most of the good stories you hear have been completely made up.
C Many great stories have been based on the real life experiences of others.
D Over the years writers have gotten better at creating stories that seem very realistic.
6-2.5
2. Why did Andrew Selkirk decide to stay on the island?

A He liked the thought of living alone.

B He was afraid to get back on the damaged ship.
C He decided that he no longer wanted to be a sailor.
D He had a disagreement with the captain of the ship.

6-2.10
3. In which paragraph is the author most persuasive?

A paragraph 1
B paragraph 3
C paragraph 4
D paragraph 6

6-2.1
4. What is the best summary of this passage?

A Robinson Crusoe and Alexander Selkirk’s life story have a few similarities.
B The man who wrote Robinson Crusoe had never heard of Alexander Selkirk’s experience on a deserted
island.
C The story of Robinson Crusoe was based on the real life of Alexander Selkirk, with a lot of extra adventure
added to the story.
D Alexander Selkirk wrote the novel, Robinson Crusoe, based on the adventures he had during four years
stranded on an island.

6-1.10
5. Where would you most likely find this passage?

A an advertisement
B an encyclopedia
C a newspaper
D a textbook
6-3.2
6. Which word from the passage is most likely derived from the Latin word habitare, which means “to
live in”?

A stranded
B cannibals
C civilization
D uninhabited
6-3.1
7. When the author uses the term mutinous, what is he saying about the crew?

A that they had taken command of the ship away from the captain
B that they had been working for the captain of another ship
C that they were hungry and tired
D that they were lazy and weak

Copyright ©2000-2007, S.S. Flanagan & D.E. Mott 2 Do not reproduce without permission. 07/01/07