Podcast
Questions and Answers
Why did Ahmed's father refuse to take back the inner tube?
Why did Ahmed's father refuse to take back the inner tube?
- He was too tired to hold onto it properly.
- He wanted Ahmed to have it to feel more secure.
- He did not want to share it with the other swimmers.
- He believed it would slow him down while swimming. (correct)
What action did the passengers take to lighten the boat?
What action did the passengers take to lighten the boat?
- They used bottles to scoop and pour water out of the boat. (correct)
- They tried to patch the holes in the boat with cloth.
- They threw their personal belongings overboard.
- They redistributed the weight by moving to the center.
What replaced Ahmed's fear as he watched his father leading the swimmers?
What replaced Ahmed's fear as he watched his father leading the swimmers?
- Anger at the circumstances that forced them into this situation.
- Excitement about the prospect of seeing land.
- Pride in his father's strength and leadership. (correct)
- Relief that they were getting closer to their destination.
Why did the memory of family picnics in Aleppo bring comfort to Ahmed?
Why did the memory of family picnics in Aleppo bring comfort to Ahmed?
What caused Ahmed to be 'jolted from his memories'?
What caused Ahmed to be 'jolted from his memories'?
How did the swimmers attempt to navigate the waves?
How did the swimmers attempt to navigate the waves?
What was the immediate impact of the 'sideways wave'?
What was the immediate impact of the 'sideways wave'?
Aside from tipping the dinghy, what was the other significant consequence of the sideways wave?
Aside from tipping the dinghy, what was the other significant consequence of the sideways wave?
What does the line 'as if considering the worth of those inside' suggest about the wave?
What does the line 'as if considering the worth of those inside' suggest about the wave?
Despite the increasingly dangerous conditions, what detail emphasizes the continued effort of those pulling the boat?
Despite the increasingly dangerous conditions, what detail emphasizes the continued effort of those pulling the boat?
Why did people on the boat begin throwing bags into the sea?
Why did people on the boat begin throwing bags into the sea?
What motivated Ahmed's father to give Ahmed the inner tube?
What motivated Ahmed's father to give Ahmed the inner tube?
What does the phrase "Forgive me, my soul. For a moment, I must leave you" suggest about the father's intentions?
What does the phrase "Forgive me, my soul. For a moment, I must leave you" suggest about the father's intentions?
What was the significance of the father's question, "Can anyone else swim?"
What was the significance of the father's question, "Can anyone else swim?"
What detail emphasizes the desperate situation of the refugees on the boat?
What detail emphasizes the desperate situation of the refugees on the boat?
Why did the smugglers choose a cloudy, moonless July night for the crossing?
Why did the smugglers choose a cloudy, moonless July night for the crossing?
What does Ahmed's memory of stories about defective life jackets suggest about the situation?
What does Ahmed's memory of stories about defective life jackets suggest about the situation?
What can be inferred from the woman neatly folding the Iraqi man's clothes?
What can be inferred from the woman neatly folding the Iraqi man's clothes?
What is the significance of Ahmed's father giving him the Omega Seamaster watch?
What is the significance of Ahmed's father giving him the Omega Seamaster watch?
What does the phrase "half swallowed by her life jacket" suggest about the little girl?
What does the phrase "half swallowed by her life jacket" suggest about the little girl?
What does Ahmed's father's calm demeanor likely indicate, despite the dire circumstances?
What does Ahmed's father's calm demeanor likely indicate, despite the dire circumstances?
Why was the engineering student from Homs chosen to pilot the boat?
Why was the engineering student from Homs chosen to pilot the boat?
What is implied by the description of the duty given to the engineering student as 'thankless'?
What is implied by the description of the duty given to the engineering student as 'thankless'?
What internal conflict does Ahmed experience in the passage?
What internal conflict does Ahmed experience in the passage?
The phrase "Where was Europe? Where was the rest of the world?" indicates which of the following?
The phrase "Where was Europe? Where was the rest of the world?" indicates which of the following?
What does the detail of the captain receiving an 'oblong orange buoy' for his efforts suggest?
What does the detail of the captain receiving an 'oblong orange buoy' for his efforts suggest?
How does the author create a sense of tension and uncertainty in the passage?
How does the author create a sense of tension and uncertainty in the passage?
What does the description of the men, women, and children huddled together suggest about their journey?
What does the description of the men, women, and children huddled together suggest about their journey?
What is the most likely reason Ahmed's father gave him the inner tube?
What is the most likely reason Ahmed's father gave him the inner tube?
The phrase "a name that seemed ironic now" in reference to the Omega Seamaster watch suggests which of the following?
The phrase "a name that seemed ironic now" in reference to the Omega Seamaster watch suggests which of the following?
Flashcards
Dinghy
Dinghy
A small, inflatable boat often used for short distances or emergencies.
Smuggling
Smuggling
Illegally transporting people or goods, often across borders.
Panic
Panic
The feeling of intense fear, overwhelming dread involving a specific threat.
Powerlessness
Powerlessness
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False words of comfort
False words of comfort
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Defective
Defective
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Omega Seamaster
Omega Seamaster
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Afraid
Afraid
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Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
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Lesbos
Lesbos
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Lighten the load
Lighten the load
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Bail water
Bail water
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"Allahu Akbar"
"Allahu Akbar"
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Inner tube
Inner tube
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Treading water
Treading water
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Ashamed
Ashamed
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Smuggler
Smuggler
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Desperate
Desperate
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Buoy
Buoy
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Interrupted
Interrupted
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Dive after
Dive after
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Confer in hushed tones
Confer in hushed tones
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Kicking with their feet
Kicking with their feet
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Paddling with their free arm
Paddling with their free arm
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Jerked forward
Jerked forward
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Whitecaps
Whitecaps
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Beam of light
Beam of light
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Pinwheel around
Pinwheel around
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Dinghy Meaning
Dinghy Meaning
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Study Notes
- The story takes place on a cloudy, moonless July night.
- Smugglers said it was less likely the Greek Coast Guard would spot them.
- The inflatable rubber dinghy was only ten centimeters above the Aegean.
- There were eighteen men, three women, and four children on the boat.
- Some had ill-fitting life jackets, and few knew how to swim.
- One woman feared they would drown if the motor didn't start, sparking panic.
- Ahmed remembered stories of defective life jackets causing people to sink.
- Ahmed's father reassured him not to be afraid.
Boat Conditions
- The boat was deflating, and the motor wouldn't start.
- There was a smell of unwashed bodies and fearful gazes.
- The sea's motion was sickening.
Ahmed's Thoughts
- Ahmed considered the powerlessness behind his father's calm demeanor, doubting his survival.
- He wondered if his death would be worse than his mother's, sisters', and grandfather's deaths.
- His father assured him their deaths were painless and quick.
- The coast of Turkey was less than ten kilometers from Lesbos, a Greek island.
- Ahmed could not see any lights from land or other boats.
Watch
- Ahmed could barely see the face of his father's stainless-steel watch, which he wore.
- The watch was his great-grandfather's Omega Seamaster.
- Ahmed told his father he couldn't swim.
Difficult Situation
- Water was soaking Ahmed's sneakers.
- People were throwing bags into the sea to lighten the load.
- Some tried to bail water out with plastic bottles.
- A woman started crying, holding a baby in a sling.
- More crying happened when his father told the woman not to cry.
- Several people prayed.
- Ahmed's father emphasized the need to keep the boat moving and assured they wouldn't sink.
Father's Actions
- Ahmed's father acted to save the others.
- He slipped an inner tube over Ahmed's head.
- He leaned over and whispered forgiveness, then left Ahmed.
- His father slid into the water, and Ahmed tried to reach him, but his arms were pinned.
Swimming Assistance
- Ahmed's father reappeared, treading water, and asked if anyone could swim.
- The passengers were from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, all sharing that they could not swim.
- One man from Iraq offered to swim in Arabic.
- The man took off his jacket and shirt and handed them to a woman who folded them.
- An engineering student from Homs, deemed the captain, also offered help.
- This earned him an oblong orange buoy.
Teamwork
- Ahmed tried to return the inner tube to his father, but he refused.
- The men swam to the front of the boat and looped the towrope around the buoy.
- A passenger shined a flashlight as they conferred quietly.
- Each swimmer grabbed the rope with one hand, paddling with the other.
- Ahmed felt pride as his father led the swimmers.
- People in the boat scooped water into bottles and poured it out.
Memories
- It reminded him of weekends before the war, barbecuing and picnicking outside of Aleppo.
- He would lead the dabke, and Ahmed would stare at the sky.
Change in Weather
- Choppy waves rocked the dinghy.
- Water spilled over the sides.
- They looked into the light that illuminated his father and the other swimmers.
- A hard summer rain began.
- The swimmers pulled the dinghy straight into the waves.
Sideways Wave
- The dinghy tipped to one side.
- The wave swept over the swimmers, making them vanish.
- It ripped the buoy off the rope and tossed it into the darkness.
- Everyone started shouting and shining their phones across the water.
- The captain and the Iraqi man reappeared.
Loss
- Ahmed thought he saw his father's head but got no response.
- He only saw whitecap waves.
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Description
A refugee family faces a perilous journey across the Aegean Sea. Packed in a small, deflating dinghy on a moonless night, they confront their fears. Ahmed reflects on past loss and an uncertain future as the motor fails and panic sets in.
