The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Chapter 8

“Doctors said the sickness started in southern Malawi back in November. A farmer visiting a funeral brought it north, where it spread like grassfire. Within days, hundreds of people were sick and twelve had died” (128).

Which best describes the meaning of the simile “it spread like grassfire” as it is used in the excerpt?

• 
  The sickness was occurring all over Malawi.

• 
  The sickness was deadly.

• 
  The sickness was occurring only in farmers.

• 
  The sickness was moving quickly.

“Doctors said the sickness started in southern Malawi back in November. A farmer visiting a funeral brought it north, where it spread like grassfire. Within days, hundreds of people were sick and twelve had died” (128).

Which word or phrase from the excerpt best help the reader to understand the meaning of the simile “it spread like grassfire”?

• 
  farmer visiting a funeral

• 
  within days

• 
  hundreds of people

• 
  started in southern Malawi

Which of the following best describes a central idea in this chapter?

• 
  William and his family struggled to survive when hunger and cholera struck their village, and their suffering was stopped by the dowe.

• 
  William and his family suffered greatly when hunger and cholera struck their village, but the maize crop grew and thrived

• 
  William and his family struggled to survive when hunger and cholera struck their village, but many of their friends were thriving.

• 
  William and his family suffered greatly when hunger and cholera struck their village, and many of their friends died.

Which of the following best describes the structure used by the writers in this chapter?

• cause/effect

• problem/solution

• advantages/disadvantages

• compare/contrast

Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence “THE DOWE IS READY!” (134) within the structure of chapter 8?

• 
  This sentence reveals the cause of the difficulty William and his whole community were facing in the chapter.

• 
  This sentence shows the excitement felt by William in comparison to how Geoffrey reacted to the news.

• 
  This sentence introduces the solution to the problems William and his community were facing in the chapter.

• This sentence marks the end the disadvantages and the beginning of the advantages of William’s situation.

Which of the following is something we can infer about William’s character from the things he says in the chapter?

• He is sick and hopeless.

• 
  He is pessimistic and sad.

• 
  He is angry and resentful.

• 
  He is optimistic and hopeful.

Which two pieces of evidence from the chapter best help to convey the central idea?

• 
  “Within days, hundreds of people were sick and twelve had died” (128).

• 
  “. . . their eyes cloudy and skin wrinkled from dehydration” (129).

• 
  “My arms and legs looked like blue-gum poles and ached all the time” (131).

• 
  “. . . how are you alive? What are you eating?” (131)

• 
  “. . . the blood of life seemed to rush back into his face” (135).