The Code That Couldn't Be Broken Article Questions

Which is the central idea of the article?

• The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor plunged the US into WW2

• Although the Navajo language was prohibited in boarding schools, it became a secret weapon to help the US defeat Japan

• Phillip Johnson, the son of missionaries, grew up on the Navajo reservation

• Some 6,800 Americans died at the battle of Iwo Jima

Which statement best supports that central idea?

• "Navajos were being asked to use their once forbidden language to help protect the US."

• "The Japanese were highly skilled at deciphering codes."

• "Marines trudged through thick jungle, facing death at every step."

• "In field tests, [the Navajos] could send a four-line message in 20 seconds."

Which was an effect of the code talkers' efforts?

• The Navajo reservation became prosperous

• The tide of the Pacific turned

• Fewer Navajos joined the Marines

• English-speaking schools for Navajos stopped

Why might the US government sent Navajos to English-speaking boarding schools?

• to make Navajo children more "American"

• to provide Navajos with a complete education

• to integrate US and Navajo traditions

• to teach them Navajo code

Which of these led most directly to the Marines recruiting Navajos?

• Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor

• the outbreak of WW2

• Japanese skill in deciphering codes

• Japan's capture of Guadalcanal

Which of these statements is an opinion?

• Chester Nez is one of the original 29 code talkers

• The code talkers were the most valuable weapon against the Japanese in WW2

• The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled the US Navy's Pacific fleet

• Peter MacDonald said their accomplishment crossed all boundaries of language and culture

What does the word trudged mean in the following sentence? "Marines trudged through thick jungle, facing death at every step."

• ran swiftly

• fought bravely

• found their way with a compass

• walked slowly and with difficultly

Which of these happened first?

• Sam Sandoval enlisted in the Marines

• Japan attacked Pearl Harbor

• The battle of Iwo Jima began

• The US dropped two atomic bombs, on Hiroshima and on Nagasaki

What does the map in the article show?

• How the code talkers got to the Pacific

• The route of the attack on Pearl Harbor

• The location of battles where the code talkers served

• The location of US allies in the war

Which conclusion could you draw from the article?

• Many code talkers regretted their service

• Some code talkers refused to attend the White House ceremony last year

• Code talkers saw their service as patriotic

• The US could have taken Iwo Jima even without the code talkers' participation