Attack at Sea- Comprehension Check

The author uses the Hook family to tell the story of the Lusitania disaster in order to

• show readers how one family coped with ocean travel. 
• show readers how ordinary people lived in the early 1900s.
• explain that third-class passengers were treated as well as first-class passengers.
• help readers feel what passengers experienced during the ship’s final voyage.

The caption on page 8 notes that after World War I, many world leaders banned the use of poison gas in warfare. What can you infer about poison gas?

• It was an especially cruel weapon.
• It was no longer needed as a weapon.
• It became unavailable.
• It was not an effective weapon.

Which is a central idea of the article? 

• The Lusitania sank in only 18 minutes. 
• U-boats sank nearly 5,000 ships during World War I. 
• The sinking of the Lusitania was an enormous tragedy. 
• Hypothermia is dangerous. 

On page 8, the author writes that a torpedo “slithered through the water like a speeding snake.” This line contains 

• foreshadowing that hints that something terrible is about to happen.
• a metaphor suggesting that the torpedo may have the bite of a venomous snake.
• a simile that highlights the speed and stealth of the torpedo.
• a simile comparing the water to a snake.

The author describes the distance from the spot the Lusitania sank to the shore as “maddeningly close.”What other words could she have used to convey the same meaning?

• frustratingly close
• annoyingly close 
• dangerously close
•  surprisingly close

On page 8, the author most likely included the simile “Schwieger’s torpedo slithered through the water like a speeding snake” to

• highlight the speed and stealth of the torpedo.
• compare the water to a snake. 
• help readers understand how snakes move. 
• show that the Lusitania was attacked by snakes.

According to the article, why did some passengers believe the Lusitania would not be sunk. 

• The crew said the Lusitania was too fast to be caught.
• The captain of the Lusitania was a decorated war hero and highly experienced. 
• Passengers believed that Germany would not target a civilian ship. 
• all of the above

Consider the information about poison gas in the caption on page 8. In which section of the article would that information fit best?

• “On the Hunt”
• “A Nightmare”
• the introduction
• “The Horrors of War”

In the sentence, “It was suddenly filled with shiny new automobiles, bright electric lights, and newfangled machines like the telegraph, which sent messages around the globe in seconds” (p. 7), newfangled most closely means 

• dangerous. 
• confusing. 
•  dated.
•  modern.

Which detail should be included in a summary of the article? 

• The captain of the Lusitania was ashamed that he survived while others did not. 
• The Lusitania symbolized advances in technology
• Each lifeboat on the Lusitania weighed 10 tons. 
• all of the above