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WorksheetsGoing Solo By Roald Dahl
Total questions: 14
Worksheet time: 10mins
What is a formation leader?
The general that is over the entire Army.
The guy that watches out for enemy fighter planes.
The guy that repairs the planes.
The guy who leads the formation of planes.
Decide if each of the quotes listed below supports or doesn't support the concept that the formation leader is a strong, experienced pilot.
Flight-Lieutenant Pattle, the ace of aces
was evidently assuming that we could all fly as brilliantly as he could
the whole sky around us seemed to explode with German fighters.
They came down on us from high above, not only 109s but also the twin-engined 110s.
What is a Hurricane
A Tropical Storm
A Plane
A Drink
A popular toy
Why did Dahl decide to include the description of the Hurricane in paragraphs 19-20?
It shows how inadequate World War II planes were, which is the purpose of Dahl’s story
It supports the theory that Dahl was the best pilot and wanted to be the formation leader.
It helps the reader better understand what Dahl went through in the Battle of Athens.
It illustrates the similarities between Hurricane planes and hurricane storms.
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 all fly as brilliantly as he could, and he led us one hell of a dance around the skies above the city.”
According to the quote listed above, What is Dahl's perception of Flight- Lieutenant Pattle?
His lack of leadership makes him nervous to fly.
He is showing off in front of the German fleet.
His patience and skills are what make him a great leader.
He is reckless in his leadership of lesser skilled pilots.
Paragraph 20: Some people do not realize that although a Hurricane had eight guns in its wings, those guns were all immobile. You did not aim the guns, you aimed the plane. The guns themselves were carefully sighted and tested beforehand on the ground so that the bullets from each gun would converge at a point about 150 yards ahead. Thus, using your reflector-sight, you aimed the plane at the target and pressed the button. To aim accurately in this way requires skillful flying, especially as you are usually in a steep turn and going very fast when the moment comes.
What is the author's purpose for including paragraph 20?
To indicate the author’s hesitance in using the Hurricane’s guns
To describe the feeling of flying a Hurricane in a dog-fight
To demonstrate the difficulty of flying a Hurricane into battle
To explain how the ground-crew prepares a Hurricane plane for war
What is a collision?
the act of coming violently into contact with another object; crash:
Becoming one with another person
A toy that shows various shapes when you twist it in a circle.
A ride at an amusement park.
Paragraph 21, Sentence 11: “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.”
After reading the sentence above, readers can infer that....
The British pilots had better equipment for battles
The German planes likely collided with their own aircraft.
The British planes outnumbered the German planes.
The German pilots were the best pilots in the world.
Due to the circumstances that Dahl encountered during World WAR II, many people may consider Roald to be a brave piolot because he______.
stayed in the battle until he had no ammunition left
was the last pilot to defend the British in the battle
spent half his time avoiding collisions with other planes
was the best marksman out of all the pilots in his formation
What are vivid details?
Action Words
Sensory Words
Dialogue
Nouns
Select all that apply:
Select 2 quotes from paragraph 22 of Going Solo that uses vivid details to express Dahl’s experience during and after the Battle of Athens?
. “When I finally had to break away and dive for home, I knew my Hurricane had been hit.”
“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.”
“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.”
Read the sentence below to answer the question that follows.
“The controls were very soggy and there was no response at all to the rudder.”
What was Dahl trying to communicate?
Dahl suddenly forgot how to fly the plane.
The plane had quickly run out of fuel.
The plane was very difficult to navigate.
Dahl realized that his controls were all wet
Paragraph 23: I undid my straps and eased myself upright in the cockpit. ‘Do your best with it,’ I said. ‘I’ll be needing it again very soon.’
Why did Dahl include paragraph 23 in this story?
It helps show how well Hurricanes could withstand a major air battle.
It supports the idea that Dahl was the best pilot in his flight formation.
It helps transition the scene from inside the fighter plane to the Operations Room.
It explains how scared and nervous Dahl was after the Battle of Athens was over
Paragraph 24: "The weather was warm in Greece at that time of year and we wore only khaki shorts and khaki shirt and stockings even when we flew, but now those shorts and shirt and stockings had all changed colour and were quite black with wetness. So was my hair when I removed my helmet. I had never sweated like that before in my life, even after a game of squash or rugger. The water was pouring off me and dripping to the ground. At the door of the Ops Room three or four other pilots were standing around and I noticed that each one of them was as wet as I was."
What can readers infer based off the comparison listed in paragraph 24?
The other pilots also flew in the battle and had the same reaction as Dahl.
The other pilots flew in the battle but were severely wounded.
The other pilots lacked the experience to ever fly with Dahl.
The other pilots did not have to fly and therefore weren’t as nervous.
