Going Solo Test Review

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

Choose the details from paragraph 18 that doesn’t support the idea that the formation leader is a strong, experienced pilot.

• “Flight-Lieutenant Pattle, the ace of aces . . .”

• “. . . he led us one hell of a dance around the skies above the city.”

• “They came down on us from high above, not only 109s but also the twin-engined 110s.”

• “We broke formation and now it was every man for himself.”

. Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

What role does the description of the Hurricane in paragraphs 19–20 play in the story?

• It shows how World War II planes were inadequate, which is the purpose of Dahl’s story.

• It supports the theory that Dahl was the best pilot and wanted to be the formation leader.

• It helps the reader better understand what Dahl went through in the Battle of Athens.

• It illustrates the similarities between Hurricane planes and hurricane storms

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

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?

• He is reckless in his leadership of lesser skilled pilots.

• His patience and skills are what make him a great leader.

• He is showing off in front of the German fleet.

• His lack of leadership makes him nervous to fly

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

Which of the following BEST describes the purpose of paragraph 20?

• To explain how the ground-crew prepares a Hurricane plane for war

• To demonstrate the difficulty of flying a Hurricane into battle

• To describe the feeling of flying a Hurricane in a dog-fight

• To indicate the author’s hesitance in using the Hurricane’s guns

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

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?

• The British pilots had better equipment for battles.

• The German pilots were the best pilots in the world.

• The British planes outnumbered the German planes.

• The German planes likely collided with their own aircrafts.

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

Based on the text, Dahl could be considered a brave pilot because he __________.

• was the best marksman out of all the pilots in his formation

• spent half his time avoiding collisions with other planes

• stayed in the battle until he had no ammunition left

• was the last pilot to defend the British in the battle

. Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

Which of the following statements from paragraph 22 use descriptive language to communicate Dahl’s experience during and after the Battle of Athens? Select one statement for each.

Dahl’s experience during the battle: __________

Dahl’s experience after the battle: __________

• “When I finally had to break away and dive for home, I knew my Hurricane had been hit.”

• “Thank heavens the undercarriage came down when I engaged the lever, and I landed more or less safely at Elevsis.”

• “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.”

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

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?

• Dahl realized that his controls were all wet.

• The plane had quickly run out of fuel.

• Dahl suddenly forgot how to fly the plane.

• The plane was very difficult to navigate.

. Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

What purpose does paragraph 23 serve in the passage?

• It explains how scared and nervous Dahl was after the Battle of Athens was over.

• It helps transition the scene from inside the fighter plane to the Operations Room.

• It helps show how well Hurricanes could withstand a major air battle.

• It supports the idea that Dahl was the best pilot in his flight formation.

Passage: Going Solo, “The Battle of Athens—the Twentieth of April,” paragraphs 18–24

In paragraph 24, how does Dahl compare himself to the other pilots in the Operations Room?

• He noticed the other pilots were just as wet and shaky as he was.

• He noticed how calm the other pilots were behaving after the battle.

• He noticed what the other pilots were wearing compared to his own uniform.

• He noticed the other pilots were having trouble communicating with others.