My Furthest-Back Person

Why does Alex Haley walk up the steps of the National Archives?

• He is working for the Census Bureau.
• He is researching Egyptian hieroglyphics. 
• He is thinking of his grandma’s stories.
• He is researching a magazine article.

On his first visit to the National Archives, what does Haley discover in the census records?

• a map of the town in Gambia where his ancestor was born
• the names of his grandmother’s parents and older sisters
• a record of the birth of his African ancestor 
• a record of the death of his African ancestor

What place does curiosity about his African roots have in Alex Haley’s life?

• It has become less interesting. 
• It has become his main concern.
• It is less important to him than his career. 
• It is getting in the way of his career. 

What embarrasses Haley as he begins to research his African history?

• He has never thought much about Africa.
• He has returned to the National Archives.
• He has not visited Henning in a long time. 
• He has never traveled beyond Europe. 

What draws Alex Haley to London to see if he can learn what ship brought Kunta Kinte to Annapolis?

• He is responding to information he had access to in the Coast Guard.
• He is following up on the griot’s reference to “king’s soldiers.” 
• He has been inspired by records of Kunta Kinte’s own memories. 
• He is recalling the stories told by his grandmother and his cousin. 

Which of the following sentences uses the word destination correctly?

• The Gambians celebrated Haley’s visit with a destination.
• The census records gave the destination of Haley’s ancestors. 
• The destination of Kunta Kinte’s slave ship was Annapolis. 
• Haley’s grandmother’s destination was storytelling. 

What is Alex Haley embarrassed to admit to the librarian at the National Archives?

• He cannot operate a microfilm machine.
• He cannot find the main research room. 
• He is curious about his slave ancestors. 
• He loved his grandmother’s stories.

Why are the Africans at the United Nations not helpful when Haley asks them about African languages?

• They are fearful of getting involved in a suspicious American scheme.
• They do not recognize any African language in the sounds Haley makes. 
• They do not understand English, and Haley does not understand their language. 
• They suspect that Haley wants something more from them than he says. 

What does the historical context in Haley’s account suggest is the role of a griot in African society?

• He enacts a character in a fantasy story.
• He is a highly respected elder statesman. 
• He is a living source of some clans’ history. 
• He keeps alive the customs of the back country. 

The Gambians celebrate with Alex Haley and other descendants of Kinte because they

• are relieved that Haley’s search is over.
• are honored to meet a black American.
• are tired from the long journey. 
• have recovered a portion of their history.