Yusra Mardini Readworks

Why did Yusra Mardini have to leave Syria?

• Because there was a civil war and it was dangerous.

• She needed to help steer a boat across the Aegean Sea.

• To train and compete for Syria in the Olympics.

• To pursue her dream of becoming a famous model.

What is one thing Yusra Mardini had to do to escape?

• She had to teach twenty people to swim.

• She had to swim in a competition.

• She had to pull a boat with twenty people in it.

• She had to learn a new language.

The text says that the boat’s engine broke down. What evidence from the text best explains why this may have happened?

• "The girls dragged the boat across the sea for hours."

• "This boat was only supposed to hold six people. However, twenty passengers were on the boat."

• "Syria was in the middle of a war, and it became dangerous for people to live there."

• Syria is known for the production of poor quality watercraft.

What genre is the text "Swimming for Her Life"?

• Fantasy

• Historical Fiction

• Informational

• Narrative Non-Fiction

All of the following details from the article help you understand why simply competing in the Olympics was a victory for Yusra EXCEPT which?

• Civil war broke out in Syria when Yusra was 13.

• Yusra’s coach thought she was a talented swimmer.

• Yusra traveled 1,000 miles in 25 days to get from Syria to Germany.

• Yusra and her sister swam for 3.5 hours to save themselves and the other refugees.

A refugee is

• someone who is running from the law

• someone seeking shelter or safety in another country

• someone who is receiving education in a foreign country

• someone who moves from place to place in search of work

Which pair of words best describes the mood of the passage about Yusra’s journey to Germany in the section “Dangerous Journey”?

• amused, joyous

• surprised, confusing

• calm, content

• tense, anxious

Which statement best expresses a central idea of the article ‘Swimming for Her Life"?

• Yusra and Sarah’s home in Syria was destroyed

• Competing in the Oympics was an accomplishment for Yusra, even though she did not win a medal.

• Sarah had a shoulder injury and could not swim

• Yusra’s coach recognized her talent immediately

Both the article and the poem "Dreams" by Langston Hughes

• argue that it’s important to let go of dreams because sometimes they are impossible to achieve.

• reveal that under different circumstances, Yusra might have won a medal at the Olympics.

• show that having dreams, no matter how challenging, helps give life purpose.

• explain that refugees face many challenges.