Check-In Review Quiz
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Read the passage and answer the following question(s).
The Journey
1
For much of the night, I gazed at the jet-black sky. I looked not to admire the stars, but for a very different reason: I looked for direction. I was eleven years old and was leading myself and other orphans on a dangerous journey across Africa, from Sudan to Kenya. Thousands of stars twinkled overhead in a perfectly peaceful sky. How strange it often seemed to me that the sky above could look so calm while the land it blanketed was in the turmoil of war. Several months before, my little brother and I had fled during the night when our home came under attack. We were considered lucky because we were together. Most of the children fled into the darkness alone, with no parents or siblings.
2
We traveled night and day for almost a year to make the 1,000-mile trip. I was terrified as we constantly feared for our lives; I desperately wanted to give up, but I put on a brave front for my brother and the other orphans. Those of us who were ten and eleven years old were the oldest and were considered the leaders of the group. We did our best to ward off lions and hyenas and to help the children when they were frightened. We bound the wounds of the younger children and shared muddy cups of water and insects for dinner. Many times I considered turning back, but each time I reminded myself that the terror at home was worse than the terror of the journey, and at least the journey would eventually end.
3
By the time we reached the refugee camp in Kenya, we were exhausted, and many of us were sick from dehydration and insect bites. We were given medical treatment, and we expected to try to make lives for ourselves there. In the year 2000, though, we were surprised to learn that we were going to be placed into homes in America. Caleb and I found ourselves on an enormous jet, traveling in luxury to Omaha, Nebraska. There, a family took us in and gave us everything we needed. They tutored us in English and sent us to school. My brother and I even watched preschool shows on television so we could learn our ABCs.
4
Caleb and I excelled at school, and when we graduated high school, we moved on to college. He now works as an ambassador for underprivileged children, and I am studying law. Recently, I was with some classmates at the university that I attend. These classmates, who were unaware of my background, were complaining about the traffic that inconvenienced them that afternoon. They asked me if it had taken me a long time to get there. I knew they were referring to the commute. As I reflected on the life I had lived thus far, I smiled, and said, “Yes.”
Which sentence BEST explains the theme of the passage?
Responses
People with terrifying childhoods can still succeed.
Hardship often produces complaints.
Nature can be a beautiful or a cruel place.
People can be content in the midst of war.
