Code Talkers

In the introduction, author Joseph Bruchac writes, “In 1942, World War II was raging around the globe.” What is the best definition of raging as it is used in this line?

• taking place, occurring

• continuing with great force

• gradually coming to close

• showing violence

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Consider this line: “Months before, [Nez and Begay] had helped invent a secret code using Diné, their native language—a language they had once been punished for speaking.” Which line expresses a similar idea?

• “Nez longed to join the war effort.”

• “To send a coded communication, troops first used a special machine to turn the message into numbers and letters.”

• “By the spring of 1942, things weren’t looking good in the Pacific.” D. “When Nez was caught speaki

• “When Nez was caught speaking Diné, a matron brushed his teeth with bitter soap called Fels-Naptha. (Years later, that same soap would be given to Nez and all Marines to wash their clothes.)”

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Which best describes how Bruchac structures the section “Top-Secret Project”?

• He compares and contrasts various secret codes used during wartime.

• He lists the steps involved in sending coded communications.

• He provides a sequence of events leading up to World War II.

• He presents the problem of Japan’s expert code-breaking abilities and the solution: a code based on Diné.

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Bruchac characterizes so-called Indian boarding schools as _______ places.

• nurturing

• trumatic

• healthy

• scholarly

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Bruchac explains that on Nez’s first morning on Guadalcanal, he “took a pinch of corn pollen from the medicine bag he carried with him everywhere” and “touching the pollen to his tongue and the top of his head, he prayed to each of the four directions.” Based on these details, readers can infer that _______.

• Nez wanted to become a medical doctor one day

• corn is a sacred plant in Navajo culture

• Guadalcanal was home to many tropical diseases

• Nez regretted joining the Marine Corps

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Which of the following details would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?

• Nez pursued a degree in art at the University of Kansas.

• The Diné word for “potatoes” was the code word for “grenade.”

• Basic training was like a game to Navajo soldiers.

• Code talkers helped America and its allies win World War II.

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Why was Diné an ideal language for secret communication? Use text evidence to support your answer.

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What is the code talkers’ legacy? Use text evidence to support your answer.

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