General Questions
What role does the description of the Hurricane in paragraphs 19–20 play in the story?
A. It shows how World War II planes were inadequate, which is the purpose of Dahl’s story.
B. It supports the theory that Dahl was the best pilot and wanted to be the formation leader.
C. It helps the reader better understand what Dahl went through in the Battle of Athens.
D. It illustrates the similarities between Hurricane planes and hurricane storms.
C. It helps the reader better understand what Dahl went through in the Battle of Athens.
“Flight-Lieutenant Pattle, the ace of aces . . .”
supports
Which of the following statements from paragraph 22 use descriptive language to communicate Dahl’s experience during the Battle of Athens?
B. “Thank heavens the undercarriage came down when I engaged the lever, and I landed more or less safely at Elevsis.”
C. “I was quite literally overwhelmed by the feeling that I had been into the very bowels of the fiery furnace and had managed to claw my way out.” n.”
C. “I was quite literally overwhelmed by the feeling that I had been into the very bowels of the fiery furnace and had managed to claw my way out.”
Part 1: In paragraph 24, how does Dahl compare himself to the other pilots in the Operations Room? A. He noticed the other pilots were just as wet and shaky as he was.
B. He noticed how calm the other pilots were behaving after the battle.
C. He noticed what the other pilots were wearing compared to his own uniform.
D. He noticed the other pilots were having trouble communicating with others.
A. He noticed the other pilots were just as wet and shaky as he was.
Read this sentence from paragraph 18: “On that morning of 20 April, Flight-Lieutenant Pattle, the ace of aces, who was leading our formation of twelve Hurricanes over Athens, was evidently assuming that we could all fly as brilliantly as he could, and he led us one hell of a dance around the skies above the city.” Based on this sentence, what does the author believe about Flight-Lieutenant Pattle?
A. He is reckless in his leadership of lesser skilled pilots.
B. His patience and skills are what make him a great leader.
C. He is showing off in front of the German fleet.
D. His lack of leadership makes him nervous to fly.
B. Dahl wants to emphasize the danger and challenge of the Battle of Athens. To do this, he must relay the specifics of flying a Hurricane, as well as how to use the guns. He notes that “you aimed the plane” to shoot accurately, and that it required “skilful flying,” which both show the difficulty of flying and maneuvering a Hurricane.
“. . . he led us one hell of a dance around the skies above the city.”
supports
Which of the following statements from paragraph 22 use descriptive language to communicate Dahl’s experience after the Battle of Athens? A. “When I finally had to break away and dive for home, I knew my Hurricane had been hit.” D. “All around me now the sun was shining and wild flowers were blossoming in the grass of the airfield, and I thought how fortunate I was to be seeing the good earth again.”
D. “All around me now the sun was shining and wild flowers were blossoming in the grass of the airfield, and I thought how fortunate I was to be seeing the good earth again.”
Part 2: What can you infer from this comparison?
A. The other pilots did not have to fly and therefore weren’t as nervous.
B. The other pilots lacked the experience to ever fly with Dahl.
C. The other pilots also flew in the battle and had the same reaction as Dahl.
D. The other pilots flew in the battle but were severely wounded.
C. The other pilots also flew in the battle and had the same reaction as Dahl.
Read this sentence from paragraph 21: “I am quite sure that the German planes must have often got in each other’s way because there were so many of them, and that, together with the fact that there were so few of us, probably saved quite a number of our skins.” What can you infer about the battle from this detail?
A. The British pilots had better equipment for battles. B. The German pilots were the best pilots in the world.
C. The British planes outnumbered the German planes.
D. The German planes likely collided with their own aircrafts.
D. It can be inferred that the German planes could have collided with their own aircraft because Dahl states that they “must have often got in each other’s way because there were so many of them.” Dahl also implies this by stating that many of their own pilots were likely saved due to the fact that there were so few British aircraft and so many German ones. The Germans probably spent much of their time either looking for enemy aircraft or avoiding their own.
“They came down on us from high above, not only 109s but also the twin-engined 110s.”
doesn't support
In paragraph 22, Dahl uses figurative language when he writes, “The controls were very soggy and there was no response at all to the rudder.” What does he mean by this?
A. Dahl realized that his controls were all wet.
B. The plane had quickly run out of fuel.
C. Dahl suddenly forgot how to fly the plane.
D. The plane was very difficult to navigate.
In what way does the author convey the emotional intensity of his experience in the Battle of Athens?
“I find it almost impossible to describe vividly what happened during the next half-hour. I don’t think any fighter pilot has ever managed to convey what it is like to be up there in a long lasting dog-fight.” (19) • “It was truly the most breathless and in a way the most exhilarating time I have ever had in my life.” (21) • “I was quite literally overwhelmed by the feeling that I had been into the very bowels of the fiery furnace and had managed to claw my way out. All around me now the sun was shining and wild flowers were blossoming in the grass of the airfield, and I thought how fortunate I was to be seeing the good earth again.” (22) • “I remember walking over to the little wooden Operations Room to report my return and as I made my way slowly across the grass of the landing field I suddenly realized that the whole of my body and all my clothes were dripping with sweat.” (24)
Based on the text, Dahl could be considered a brave pilot because he __________. A. was the best marksman out of all the pilots in his formation
B. spent half his time avoiding collisions with other planes
C. stayed in the battle until he had no ammunition left
D. was the last pilot to defend the British in the battle
C. stayed in the battle until he had no ammunition left
“We broke formation and now it was every man for himself.”
doesn't support
What purpose does paragraph 23 serve in the passage?
A. It explains how scared and nervous Dahl was after the Battle of Athens was over.
B. It helps transition the scene from inside the fighter plane to the Operations Room.
C. It helps show how well Hurricanes could withstand a major air battle.
D. It supports the idea that Dahl was the best pilot in his flight formation.
B. It helps transition the scene from inside the fighter plane to the Operations Room.