Malcolm X - Learning to Read

Which quote from the text shows that Malcolm X had a “take charge” personality ?

• “I spent two days just riffling uncertainly through the dictionary’s pages.”

• “In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there.”

• “You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge.”

• “Everything I've ever felt strongly about, I've done something about.”

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CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.W.5.9A

Based on information provided in the text, we can infer that one difference between the friends Malcolm X had outside of prison and the people he was surrounded by in prison was that-

• Malcolm X’s friends outside of Norfolk were followers of Elijah Muhammed that encouraged learning, while Malcolm’s company in prison was mostly criminals that couldn’t read

• His friends outside of prison were street hustlers that hid the fact that they were uneducated, while the men in Norfolk were convicts that were praised for their intelligence

• Malcolm X’s friends before he went to prison were street hustlers and the men in prison with him were high level criminals

• In Charlestown Prison, the men frequently held debates, and on the streets they spent most of their time gambling

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CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.5.3

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.W.5.9A

What sparked Malcolm X’s desire to “learn to read”?

• He wanted his letters and conversation to be more articulate

• He wanted to impress Elijah Muhammed.

• He wanted to be more active in Civil Rights.

• He wanted Bimbi to think he was smart.

How did Malcolm become well known in the streets, before going to prison?

• he was a very successful hustler

• he was a smooth talker

• he had been to prison before

• he wrote letters to everyone

In paragraph 4, Malcolm X states “In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there...But now, trying to write simple English…I wasn’t even functional.”. By this he means that….

• He was a better writer than speaker

• He enjoyed being on the streets more than he enjoyed writing

• he was good at fitting in on the streets, but he didn’t really know how to read or write

• He was a great speaker in casual, face to face conversations, but he didn’t know how to put words together on paper

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CCSS.L.5.5A

CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.5.4

CCSS.W.5.9A

Why does the author italicize the last line in paragraph 4 ?

• To show an internal thought.

• To signify a title.

• To highlight a contrast.

• to emphasize a word.

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CCSS.RL.5.1

CCSS.RL.5.4

The purpose of paragraph 5 is to...

• suggest the impact that his “prison studies” had on his life

• explain his motivation for learning to read.

• emphasize the fame of Malcolm X.

• explain why he went to Charlestown prison.

What frustrations did Malcolm X encounter in his efforts to be more like Bimbi?

• he felt like he could never match Bimbi’s intelligence

• he couldn’t understand most of the words in the books he picked up

• Bimbi made him feel bad about learning

• Bimbi never returned his letters

In paragraph 15, Malcolm X suggests that reading

• made him feel smarter than college students

• gave him a status symbol so that he could be successful

• gave him a new perspective on many things in his life and surroundings

• made him more sensitive to others

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CCSS.RI.5.1

CCSS.RI.5.2

According to the excerpt, Malcolm X began using a dictionary to ....

• acquire new vocabulary and improve his writing.

• impress his relatives and keep himself busy.

• improve his conversations with his friends.

• assist him in understanding legal documents.

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CCSS.L.5.6