Going Solo Amplify

Passage: Going Solo, "The Battle of Athens- the Twentieth of April."

paragraphs 18-24

Mark whether the detail from paragraph 18 supports or doesn't support the idea that the formation leader is a strong, experienced pilot.

"Flight Lieutenant Pattle, the ace of aces..."

• Supports

• Doesn't Support

Passage: Going Solo, "The Battle of Athens- the Twentieth of April."

paragraphs 18-24

Mark whether the detail from paragraph 18 supports or doesn't support the idea that the formation leader is a strong, experienced pilot.

"...he led us one hell of a dance around the skies above the city."

• Supports

• Doesn't Support

Passage: Going Solo, "The Battle of Athens- the Twentieth of April."

paragraphs 18-24

Mark whether the detail from paragraph 18 supports or doesn't support the idea that the formation leader is a strong, experienced pilot.

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

• Supports

• Doesn't Support

Passage: Going Solo, "The Battle of Athens- the Twentieth of April."

paragraphs 18-24

Mark whether the detail from paragraph 18 supports or doesn't support the idea that the formation leader is a strong, experienced pilot.

"We broke formation and now it was every man for himself."

• Supports

• Doesn't Support

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

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

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

• To indicate the author's hesitance in using the Hurricane's guns.

• To demonstrate the difficulty of flying a Hurricane into battle.

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 German planes likely collided with their own aircrafts.

• The British planes outnumbered the German planes.

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.

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

• stayed in the battle until he had no ammunition left.

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.

Dahl's experience during 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."