Malcolm X Commonlit Questions

Which quote from the text shows that Malcolm X had a “take charge” personality ?

• “I spent two days just riffling uncertainly through the dictionary’s pages.”

• “In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there.”

• “You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge.”

• “Everything I've ever felt strongly about, I've done something about.”

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Based on information provided in the text, we can infer that one difference between the friends Malcolm X had outside of prison and the people he was surrounded by in prison was that-

• Malcolm X’s friends outside of Norfolk were followers of Elijah Muhammed that encouraged learning, while Malcolm’s company in prison was mostly criminals that couldn’t read

• His friends outside of prison were street hustlers that hid the fact that they were uneducated, while the men in Norfolk were convicts that were praised for their intelligence

• Malcolm X’s friends before he went to prison were street hustlers and the men in prison with him were high level criminals

• In Charlestown Prison, the men frequently held debates, and on the streets they spent most of their time gambling

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.5.3

CCSS.RL.6.3

CCSS.RL.7.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

What sparked Malcolm X’s desire to “learn to read”?

• He wanted his letters and conversation to be more articulate

• He wanted to impress Elijah Muhammed.

• He wanted to be more active in Civil Rights.

• He wanted Bimbi to think he was smart.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.9

CCSS.RI.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.11-12.9

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.K.6

How did Malcolm become well known in the streets, before going to prison?

• he was a very successful hustler

• he was a smooth talker

• he had been to prison before

• he wrote letters to everyone

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CCSS.RI.5.9

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

In paragraph 4, Malcolm X states “In the street, I had been the most articulate hustler out there...But now, trying to write simple English…I wasn’t even functional.”. By this he means that….

• He was a better writer than speaker

• He enjoyed being on the streets more than he enjoyed writing

• he was good at fitting in on the streets, but he didn’t really know how to read or write

• He was a great speaker in casual, face to face conversations, but he didn’t know how to put words together on paper

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Why does the author italicize the last line in paragraph 4 ?

• To show an internal thought.

• To signify a title.

• To highlight a contrast.

• to emphasize a word.

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.5

CCSS.RI.2.5

CCSS.RI.K.5

The purpose of paragraph 5 is to...

• suggest the impact that his “prison studies” had on his life

• explain his motivation for learning to read.

• emphasize the fame of Malcolm X.

• explain why he went to Charlestown prison.

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CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What frustrations did Malcolm X encounter in his efforts to be more like Bimbi?

• he felt like he could never match Bimbi’s intelligence

• he couldn’t understand most of the words in the books he picked up

• Bimbi made him feel bad about learning

• Bimbi never returned his letters

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CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

In paragraph 15, Malcolm X suggests that reading

• made him feel smarter than college students

• gave him a status symbol so that he could be successful

• gave him a new perspective on many things in his life and surroundings

• made him more sensitive to others

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CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

According to the excerpt, Malcolm X began using a dictionary to ....

• acquire new vocabulary and improve his writing.

• impress his relatives and keep himself busy.

• improve his conversations with his friends.

• assist him in understanding legal documents.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3