Code Talkers Test

1 Which words from paragraph 1 best help the reader understand the meaning of the word clandestine? (1B)

• A curious sounds

• B best-kept secrets

• C linguistic system

• D tactics and strategy

Who first suggested using Navajo for military radio communications? (8A)

• F The son of missionaries

• G A Navajo Marine

• H A Code Talker

• J A communications expert

The author begins and ends the selection with references to successful battles in order to — (9C)

• A remind readers of the human toll caused by war

• B indicate that the war would have been lost without the Code Talkers

• C emphasize the Code Talkers’ contribution to the war effort

• D examine the strengths and weaknesses of different military strategies

Read these sentences from paragraph 2.

In the 1940s there was no such thing as a “secure line.” All talk had to go out onto the public airwaves.

The author includes this information to — (8A)

• F demonstrate technological advances during the twentieth century

• G establish the need for an unbreakable secret code

• H explain why Pearl Harbor was vulnerable to attack

• J question whether the right to free speech should be protected during wartime

In paragraph 1, the author mentions “guttural noises and complex intonations” in order to — (9C)

• A describe the difficulties of communicating during wartime

• B highlight an important victory during World War II

• C illustrate how frustrated the Japanese were in their attempts to break the code

• D give an idea of what the Navajo code sounded like

Which of these best illustrates how much the general public knew about the Navajo code immediately following World War II? (9C)

• F Its application in World War II as a clandestine system of communication was one of the twentieth century’s best-kept secrets.

• G A hand grenade was “potato,” and plain old bombs were “eggs.”

• H That was the situation in 1942 when the Pentagon authorized one of the boldest gambits of the war.

• J Each Talker was so valuable, he traveled everywhere with a personal bodyguard.

Which of these is the best summary of the selection? (9A)

• A Too little credit has been given to the Navajo Code Talkers, who played a decisive role in the American defeat of Japan during World War II. If more people were aware of their contribution, there is no doubt that the Code Talkers would be celebrated and honored throughout the United States.

• B Navajo-speaking Code Talkers played an important role in the struggle against the Japanese during World War II. Because of the complex and unfamiliar nature of the Navajo language, the Code Talkers were able to broadcast messages over the radio that couldn’t be deciphered by the Japanese.

• C During the early part of World War II, the Japanese were able to figure out any secret code used by the U.S. military. To solve this problem, the Marines created a special alphabet used by Navajo soldiers to send messages the Japanese couldn’t decipher.

• D At the beginning of World War II, the Navajo language was perfect for use as a secret code. It had never been translated into another language, and because it had no alphabet, it had never been written down. The only people who knew the language were native speakers in the United States. Before the language could be used for coded communication, an alphabet and spelling system had to be developed for it.