A Long Walk to Water

In the first chapter, while Salva is in school, what happens?

• He hears men arguing about the war in the hallway.

• He is talking to a classmate about how the war started.

• Gunshots are fired, and the teacher tells the students to run away into the bush.

• Men in uniforms come into the school and start questioning the students.

Which characterisitc is shown in the following quote, "What are they going to do to us? Where is my family?"  (pg. 10)

• brave

• worried

• content

• frustrated

Even though Nya's foot is sore from the thorn, she continues to walk home despite the pain. What does this say about her charater?

• She is allowing the pain to get the best of her.

• She really enjoys her walk to get water.

• Her walk to get water is long and takes an entire day.

• She will not give up and she is determined.

When Salva first meets Marial, hey realize they are both without their family. The author writes, "The boy was still looking at him. 'Your family?' he asked. Salva shook his head. 'Me, too,' the boy said. He sighed, and Salva heard that sigh all the way to his heart." (pg.29). What does it mean when the author writes that Salva heard Marial's sigh "all the way to his heart"?

• Salva's heart beats similarly to Marial's heart.

• Marial sighed so loudly that Salva delt like his heart could hear it.

• Marial is complaining, and Salva's heart doesn't feel badly for him.

• Salva truly empathizes and feels what Marial has been through.

Nya and her mother are able to bring Akeer to the big tent full of people to help the sick. The advice from the nurse is, “[Akeer] should drink only good clean water”(pg. 45). Why is this still a conflict for Nya and her family?

• Because the water could only be collected in such small amounts that it would dry out when boiled to clean it.

• Because the clean water in their village would be gone so quickly from everyone trying to collect it.

• Because Nya’s mother suspected that Akeer was sick from something else, not the unclean water.

• Because Akeer was too weak to carry and clean the water herself.

What traumatic event happens to Salva when they are approached by some men from the Nuer tribe? 

• They steal all of the group's belongings and leave them with nothing.

• They steal from them, take Uncle's gun, and kill Uncle.

• They yell at them and question where their alliance lies.

• They let them go free after being questioned.

The following quote shows what about Salva's character? "The way they were treating him made Salva feel stronger still. There is no one left to help me. They think I am weak and useless. Salva lifted his head proudly. They are wrong, and I will prove it" (pg. 66)

• He is disappointed and frustrated at being treated like a useless child.

• He is energized and optimistic about being able to make it to the refugee camp.

• He is angry and deflated from feeling like he cannot go on.

• He is determined and confident to carry on and prove everyone wrong.

After Salva thinks he sees his mother at the refugee camp,  he soon realizes she may very well be dead, along with the rest of his family. What can you infer from the following?" He felt as though he were standing on the edge of a giant hole - a hole filled with the black despair of nothingness." (pg. 72)

• It shows where Salva is: a large watering hole in the middle of the refugee camp.

• It demonstrates the depth of Salva's sadness and hopelessness of his realization.

• It mimics the dark dreams that haunt Salva at night.

• It references standing on the edge of the Nile River when they had to cross.

Why does the author use the following quote to describe Salva's experience crossing the Gila River? "It felt like hours. It felt like years." (pg.79)

• It creates the feeling that it was so easy for Salva that he felt like he could do this for a whole year.

• It helps the reader visualize a year in Salva's life.

• It emphasizes how difficult and strenuous it was for Salva.

• It shows how Salva probably did spend almost an entire year in the river.

Salva often shows moments of perseverance. How does the following quote also show an example of perseverance that Nya observes? "[The boss] didn't get angry very often. He kept working-and kept the others working, too. They patched the bag again. The drilling went on." (pg. 77)

• Nya wishes the drilling crew luck every single day as they work.

• The drilling crew often gets angry and frustrated and yells at one another, but the job still gets done.

• Even though Nya wants to help the drilling crew, she is not old enough.

• Despite hardship, the drilling crew continues to fix issues and continue drilling.