Comprehension & Author's Purpose: Navajo Code Talkers

Which words from paragraph 1 best help the reader understand the meaning of the word clandestine?

• curious sounds

• tactics and strategy

• best-kept secrets

• linguistic system

The author begins and ends the selection with references to successful battles in order to -

• indicate that the war would have been lost without the Code Talkers

• examine the strengths and weaknesses of different military strategies

• emphasize the Code Talkers' contribution to the war effort

• remind readers of the human toll caused by war

In paragraph 1, the author mentions 'guttural noises and complex intonations' in order to -

• describe the difficulties of communicating during wartime

• highlight an important victory during World War II

• illustrate how frustrated the Japanese were in their attempts to break the code

• give an idea of what the Navajo code sounded like

Which of these best illustrates how much the general public knew about the Navajo code immediately following World War II?

• Its application in World War II as a clandestine system of communication was one of the twentieth century's best-kept secrets.

• A hand grenade was 'potato,' and plain old bombs were 'eggs.'

• Each Talker was so valuable, he traveled everywhere with a personal bodyguard.

• That was the situation in 1942 when the Pentagon authorized one of the boldest gambits of the war.

What was the role of the Navajo Code Talkers in the war?

• They were tasked with sabotaging enemy communications

• They were responsible for training other soldiers in code talk

• They were responsible for deciphering Japanese codes

• They were responsible for sending and receiving errorless messages

Restate the following prompt:

How does the text show the importance of the Navajo Code Talkers' contribution to the war?