Gerda Weissmann Article Questions

Which sentence BEST summarizes the central idea of the Weissmann-Klein article? 

• Gerda Weissman (1924-) is an author, speaker and humanitarian, and a Holocaust survivor. 
• Gerda Weissman and Kurt Klein took tragedy and turned it into triumph – along the way inspiring millions of people to overcome their own personal battles.
• Gerda and Kurt received joint doctorates from Chapman University for their collective work fighting racism and intolerance.
• She wrote her autobiography, All But My Life, in 1957.

Which of the following details does NOT support the main idea of the Weissmann-Klein article?

• She wrote her autobiography, All But My Life, in 1957.
• Because of the war, Gerda's formal education stopped at age 15. But her humanitarian work has earned her numerous honorary doctorates.
• They traveled the world together speaking to diverse groups about the power of the human spirit and the importance of addressing the needs of the hungry.
• With her hand, she made a sweeping gesture and quoted the German poet Goethe: "Noble be man, merciful, and good.

With her hand, she made a sweeping gesture and quoted the German poet Goethe: "Noble be man, merciful, and good." Perhaps it was her irony – or her composure – or her compassion amidst the tragedy that struck Kurt Klein. Whatever it was, a great love affair began.
According to the author, what do these lines reveal about Gerda?

• She was bitter, lost and hopeless until rescued.  
• She was thankful for being rescued.  
• She maintained her calm and sense of humor.
• She never gave up hope. 

The story of Kurt's indefatigable but ultimately unsuccessful efforts to save his parents was chronicled in the award-winning PBS program America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference, part of The American Experience series.
In this sentence, what does indefatigable mean?

• tirelessly persistent
• hopelessly careless
• courageously strong
• terribly weak

When Hitler ascended to power, Klein's parents realized Jewish people had no future in Germany.
What does ascended mean? 

• leveled
• gained
• lost 
• ran 

Gerda Weissmann was only 15 years old in 1939 when Germans took over her hometown of Bielsko, Poland. She, along with her parents and brother, Artur, had led a happy and comfortable life. It was not long before the Nazis took Artur away. In 1942, Gerda was separated from her parents and sent to work in slave labor camps for three years. Her parents, brother, and entire extended family died in the Holocaust. Gerda was subject to starvation and torture, yet she never stopped praying that liberation day would come. On May 7, 1945, after a five-month death march through Eastern Europe, U.S. Army soldiers liberated Gerda Weissmann and a handful of other survivors. The first soldier on the scene was Lt. Kurt Klein.
What does this paragraph reveal about Gerda?

• She held unwavering hope of being liberated. 
• She was more tough and courageous than those her age. 
• She was more tough and courageous than those her age. 
• She was happy to be alive in spite of the odds. 

Because of the war, Gerda's formal education stopped at age 15. But her humanitarian work has earned her numerous honorary doctorates. In 2001, Gerda and Kurt received joint doctorates from Chapman University for their collective work fighting racism and intolerance. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Gerda Weissman Klein the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States.
What distinction is the author making in this paragraph (7)?

• The author is making a distinction between Gerda's personal life an her work as a humanitarian.  
• The author is contrasting formal education against other honorable accomplishments.  
• The author is drawing a distinction between traditional women's work and work as an educator. 
• The author is contrasting real-world accomplishments with honorary accomplishments.  

What is the author's overall purpose?  

• to entertain
• to inform
• to explain
• to persuade

With which of the following statements is the author most likely NOT agree?  

• Gerda Weissman had an indomitable spirit. 
• Gerda Weissman was never able to function after the loss of her brother, Artur. 
• Gerda and Kurt had an amazing love story set in a time of tragedy. 
• Gerda and Kurt worked well together. 

Which of the following would make a nice companion text to help readers understand what life might have been like for Gerda before she was rescued?  

• Six Million Paperclips:  The making of a Children's Holocaust Memorial.  Students collect millions of paperclips to represent the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust. 
• Prisoner B-3087:  The story of a young boy sent to work in several death camps during Hitler's reign. 
• Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. Anne's diary explains what it was like to live hidden in an attic to avoid being captured and sent to a death camp. 
• Hello, America: A Refugee's Journey from Auschwitz to the New World