Thunder over Kandahar Practice Questions

Thunder over Kandahar Practice Questions

Sharon E. McKay

CHAPTER 1

1. What does Yasmine wear that’s “grey and ugly”? Hijab (p.1)
2. What language has Yasmine learned in 10 months? Dari (p.2)
3. Who had blackened the windows? Taliban (p.2)
4. What was damaged on the outside of Yasmine’s house? Bricks (p.3)
5. Where had Yasmine used to live? Oxford, England, a flat (p.4)
6. Describe Yasmine’s bed. Cotton mattress on floor (p.5)
7. Who accompanied most women on streets of Herat? Men or boys (p.5)
8. What are the robes with eye slits called? Burka (p.5)
9. Why does Yasmine hold her mom’s hand to cross street? Traffic lights work occasionally/cars don’t stop (p.7)
10. What does the yellow balloon remind Yasmine of? Daffodils (p.7)
11. Why does Yasmine try not to shrug? Rude in Afghanistan (p.8)
12. What do the armed men call Yasmine’s mother when attacking her? Daughter of America (p.10)
13. What happened to the balloons they bought? Drift into sky (p.10)

CHAPTER 2

1. Who lifts Yasmine’s mom into back of pickup truck? 3 women (p.12)
2. What does hospital smell like? Cigarette smoke (p.12)
3. Where does Yasmine leave a message for father? University (p.13)
4. What name does Yasmine call her dad? Baba (p.14)
5. What is the diagnosis for Yasmine’s mother? Leg broken in 2 places (p.14)
6. Why does doctor only offer pain pills? Male doctors are not allowed to help female patients (p.14)
7. What does halal mean? Correct for muslims (p.15)
8. Why is it so easy for Yasmine to overhear the professor’s conversation with her dad? Curtains separate rooms, not walls (p.17)
9. What does Professor Maywand tell Yasmine’s dad to do? Go back to London/England (p.18)

CHAPTER 3

1. Who nursed Yasmine’s mother? An old woman (p.19)
2. Who tells Yasmine “you must not draw faces”? Baba (p.20)
3. Why does Baba not take Professor Mayward’s advice? To go to England would be cowardly (p.21)
4. Where does Mother say they will go? A village in Kandahar province (p.22)
5. Whose house will they live in? Grandfather’s (p.22)
6. How did they travel to the village? Driver of a car, followed by a truck (p.23)
7. What’s wrong with the silk blue burkas Baba buys? Too beautiful (p.23)
8. How does Baba get an old and shabby burka? Trades with a beggar (p.23)
9. What was in the basket for travel food? Fruit and naan (p.23)
10. How does the shabby burka small? Like a goat’s pen (p.24)
11. What does FOB stand for? Forward Operations Base (p.25)
12. What are boys doing while waiting for the baker’s oven to bake their bread? Kicking a ball (p.26)
13. Who can go to a madrassa? Boys only (p.26)

CHAPTER 4

1. What did Tamanna knock off the step when she lost her balance? Kabeer’s sandals (p.29)
2. How is Kabeer related to Tamanna? They’re twins (p.29)
3. What grew in Tamanna’s garden? Thistles (p.29)
4. How did Tamanna hurt her hip? Uncle Zaman had kicked her (p.30)
5. How dies Tamanna’s mother earn money? Sells eggs and baked Naan (p.30)
6. What happened to Tamanna’s father? Died fighting Taliban (p.32)
7. What is Tamanna’s mother called? Mor (p.33)
8. What does Mor warn Tamanna of if she leaves the road? Landmines (p.33)
9. What does Noor wear on his head? A beaded cap (p.35)

CHAPTER 5

1. What gold item did Tamanna not think it possible for a girl to own? A thin chain/necklace (p.39)
2. Who looks like a queen to Tamanna? Yasmine’s mother (p.40)
3. What is Tamanna hired to do? Be Yasmine’s companion (p.40)
4. How does Tamanna learn to count? Line up pebbles in a row (p.42)
5. What happened to Tamanna’s pay? Given to uncle (p.43)
6. What does the housekeeper think about Tamanna not doing housework? Education has no use (p.43)
7. What is the gossip in the village? Baba is not “one of them” (p.44)
8. What is the benefit to Tamanna to speak Dari? Uncle can’t understand it (p.46)
9. What is Tamanna’s first english word? Ketchup (p.46)
10. How does Tamanna draw a map? Stick in dust (p.47)
11. Where does Baba say mother can get her leg examined? India or Pakistan (p.49)

CHAPTER 6

1. What banner hangs over new village school? Education is light (p.57)
2. What surprises Tamanna about the young teacher? He looks at the girls and says they can join his class (p.52)
3. What is inside the cardboard boxes that the soldiers brought? School supplies (p.54)
4. Who paid for the school? Women in the west(p.55)
5. What does Yasmine think Dan-Danny said to them? You are all alligators and he’s a crocodile (p.55)
6. Who says “girls cannot learn”? Noor (p.56)
7. After school which vehicles come to the building? Toyotas (p.58)
8. What does Talib soldier allow the little boy to do? Shoot his gun into the sky (p.60)
9. Why does the girl with white sandals get in trouble? White is a holy colour not to be stepped on
10. How does Tamanna show Kabeer who she is? Lifts up burka to show him her face and tells him (p.64)
11. How does Yasmine survive the shooting? Bullet missed and hit sand instead (p.64)
12. After seeing Kabeer at school, what news does Mor have for Tamanna? She has to be sold to be married (p.66)
13. Why does Tamanna need to be married? Money will be used to pay for uncle’s gambling debts (p.66)

CHAPTER 7

1. How did Yasmine’s neck get hurt? Kabeer had pulled on her necklace, but it didn’t break (p.69)
2. Who helped with laundry when Yasmine and Tamanna are weak? Baba (p.71)
3. How do they listen to music? Cassette (p.72)

CHAPTER 8

1. What is a medic? Someone trained in field medicine for soldiers in battle (p.77)
2. How is the medic being kind? Letting mother be examined in the fort (p.77)
3. Who is the 15th century astronomer that Baba and Yasmine tell the story of? Prince Ulugh Beg (p.79)
4. Who informs Yasmine her parents have been shot? Noor (p.80)
5. What does Noor accuse Yasmine’s dad of? Being a spy (p.80)
6. What is a terp? Short for interpreter (p.82-83)

CHAPTER 9

1. What “burned like kerosene poured on an open wound”? Noor’s words (p.86)
2. What would be missing from Tamanna’s wedding? No furniture, cloth or jewelry (p.86)
3. How does Tamanna manage her stomach trouble? Not eating (p.87)
4. What does uncle smoke? Chars or opium (p.89)

CHAPTER 10

1. What is the red-headed soldier’s name? Dan or Danny (p.92)
2. What does Brenda give to Yasmine? An orange and a water bottle (p.93)
3. Who has a 14 year old sister? Dan-Danny (p.93)
4. What is the mask on Baba for? Oxygen (p.94)
5. Where are Yasmine’s parents going to get an operation? KAF (p.94)
6. How will they travel? Helicopter (p.95)
7. What nickname is given to pills for diarrhea? Kandahar candies (p.99)
8. How does Yasmine get to the gate? Jeep (p.100)
9. What does she have to get from her house? Documents (p.102)
10. What food does soldier Michelle give Yasmine? A chocolate bar (p.102)

CHAPTER 11

1. Where was a locked metal box? Under Yasmine’s mom’s bed (p.105)
2. Where do they look for a key? In desk, in books (p.105)
3. Why does Tamanna refuse Yasmine’s offer of money? She will be accused of theft and be beaten (p.107)
4. What is added to the cloth bag along with money and passports? Baba’s notebooks (p.107)
5. What does Yasmine steal? One bottle of pills (p.112)
6. What does Michelle say is “made of kryptonite”? A money belt (p.112)
7. How does Yasmine leave the FOB for KAF? Rickshaw (p.113)
8. What nickname does Dan-Danny give Yasmine? Princess (p.114)

CHAPTER 12

1. What does Yasmine find in Tamanna’s house? Broken glass, destruction and Tamanna’s mother beaten (p.118)
2. Why had Tamanna’s uncle done this? Tamanna’s would-be husband rejected her because of her limp (p.119)
3. Where has Tamanna fled? To the mountains (p.121)
4. What does Yasmine give to Tamanna’s mother? American money (p.121)

CHAPTER 13

1. What garments does Yasmine get out of a trunk? Burkas (p.126)
2. How does Yasmine manage to run towards the rickshaw? She removes her shoes (p.128)
3. What does the rickshaw driver throw at the girls when he evicts them? Leather shoes (p.132)
4. Why does Yasmine say they should go into the mountains? They should do what’s unexpected (p.133)

CHAPTER 14

1. Why do the girls want to get rid of the beautiful burkas? They will attract too much attention (p.135)
2. How is the problem of not having a man to accompany them overcome? The driver says they are his sisters after he sees they have money to pay (p.138)
3. Which way was the truck going? Back to the village and beyond (p.139)
4. Why does Yasmine not tell Tamanna the truth about Mor? It would do no good (p.139)
5. Where were the soles of their feet not supposed to point? To Mecca (p.140)
6. How will the girls hide during the day? Hide under red-gold blanket that blends in with desert (p.141)
7. What passes Yasmine’s foot by inches and causes them to scream? A scorpion (p.143)
8. What confirms for the girls they were headed the right way? Donkey droppings (p.145)
9. What story does Yasmine tell Tamanna to pass time as they walk in mountains? Babar the Elephant (p.147)

CHAPTER 15

1. What do they drink in Zmarak’s hut? Tea (p.153)
2. Who is the gunman? Zmarak’s mother (p.155)
3. What makes Zmarak’s grandmother unable to speak? She has no tongue (p.159)
4. What does Yasmine say the money should be used for? To buy kerosene (p.160)
5. When does Ariana suggest the girls leave the hut? During the game of buzkashi (p.161)
6. Who says burkas were once only for the upper class? Ariana (p.163)
7. How was Ariana so knowledgeable? Her husband was a teacher (p.163)
8. Who heals Tamanna? Zmarak’s grandmother (p.163)
9. What did Zmarak make for Tamanna? A walking stick (p.165)
10. What is the parting gift for the old woman? The embroidered patoo (p.165)

CHAPTER 16

1. What strange sight do they find after Zmarak leaves them? A hut with opium addicted children (p.169)

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

1. What does Kabeer say about Tamanna? She brings shame to our family (p.182)
2. When Kabeer left home, who took care of him? A commander/warlord (p.183)
3. What does Tamanna notice when Kabeer opens his book? He can’t read (p.184)
4. What is at the bottom of Kabeer’s feet? Burn marks, a sign of torture (p.186)
5. After speaking with Kabeer what does Tamanna decide? Not to continue with Yasmine (p.189)

CHAPTER 19

1. What happens to Tamanna when she sees the helicopters? She falls into the gorge (p.190)
2. Who helps Yasmine pull Tamanna’s body to safety? Kabeer (p.192)
3. How is Yasmine checked before a soldier talks to her? A dog sniffs her (p.195)
4. Why is Kabeer smiling? He is a suicide bomber (p.198)

CHAPTER 20

1. Who finds Yasmine? Nicolette (p.202)
2. What language does nurse Nicolette speak? French (p.202)
3. What does the doctor think when the money belt is found on the girl? Maybe she was a drug mule or she stole the money (p.203)
4. What does Yasmine think has happened when someone says to her “you will come with us, non”? It’s an angel and she’s dead (p.205)

CHAPTER 21

1. What is on Yasmine’s left arm? A plaster cast (p.207)
2. Why does Nicolette’s group travel slowly? Check for land mines (p.207)
3. Why does Nicolette’s group stop often? To treat sick children and men (p.207)
4. What name is given to Yasmine? Famia (p.209)
5. What is the name of Nicolette’s horse? Paul McCartney (p.210)
6. What does Famia remember about Babar? He wears a green suit (p.271)

CHAPTER 22

1. Which border are they crossing as they go down the mountains? The Afghanistan-Pakistan border (p.213)
2. How will Famia cross the border? Pretend to be the wife of a trusted guide (p.215)
3. It will take 4 hours to get where? Quetta (p.215)
4. At the border who is at work beside the tailor? A tooth-puller (p.218)
5. Where does Famia sit in the Toyota car? Backseat (p.219)
6. How do they bribe the police? Cigarettes (p.219)
7. What does Famia do when she gets to the pink room? Faints (p.220)

CHAPTER 23

1. What had Mina studied before her marriage? Nursing (p.223)
2. Who says “we are all Afghans first”? Mina (p.225)
3. What happened to Mina’s parents? Killed by a bomb (p.224)
4. What does Nicolette offer Famia? To live with ehr in France (p.227)
5. What does Famia want to do instead? Help Mina and Babrak with their new baby (p.228)

CHAPTER 24

1. What makes Famia mention the name Tamanna? She thinks it is a good name if Mina has a baby girl (p.231)
2. What did Mina tell everyone about Famia? That it’s her little sister (p.231)
3. How could Famia be a school teacher? She passed a test (p.232)
4. What is the name of Mina’s baby? Tora (p.232)
5. Who is Famia’s special student? Roshina (p.234)
6. Who comes to see Famia at her home with Mina and Babrak? Her grandfather (p.239)

POSTSCRIPT

1. What does Noor return to Yasmine’s family? Their copy of Qu’ran
2. Where does Tamanna live? Oxford

IWB is a character unconscious for two days? ToK (p. 68)