Podcast
Questions and Answers
In what month did the events in the story take place?
In what month did the events in the story take place?
- June
- July (correct)
- September
- August
What kind of boat were the people traveling in?
What kind of boat were the people traveling in?
- Luxury yacht
- Inflatable rubber dinghy (correct)
- Fishing boat
- Sailboat
Why did the smugglers choose a cloudy, moonless night?
Why did the smugglers choose a cloudy, moonless night?
- To avoid being seen by the Greek Coast Guard (correct)
- To enjoy the cool weather
- To make the journey faster
- For better navigation
Which sea were the people crossing?
Which sea were the people crossing?
What problem was the boat experiencing during the journey?
What problem was the boat experiencing during the journey?
Approximately how many people were in the boat?
Approximately how many people were in the boat?
What was mentioned about the life jackets some people were wearing?
What was mentioned about the life jackets some people were wearing?
How old is Ahmed in the story?
How old is Ahmed in the story?
What was the approximate distance from Turkey to the Greek island?
What was the approximate distance from Turkey to the Greek island?
What was Ahmed's father's response when Ahmed said he couldn't swim?
What was Ahmed's father's response when Ahmed said he couldn't swim?
What item did Ahmed's father initially throw into the sea?
What item did Ahmed's father initially throw into the sea?
According to Ahmed's father, why would he not take the inner tube back?
According to Ahmed's father, why would he not take the inner tube back?
What did the men loop around the buoy to pull the boat?
What did the men loop around the buoy to pull the boat?
In the water, who was leading the group of swimmers pulling the boat?
In the water, who was leading the group of swimmers pulling the boat?
What were passengers using bottles for in the boat?
What were passengers using bottles for in the boat?
What feeling replaced Ahmed's fear as he watched his father?
What feeling replaced Ahmed's fear as he watched his father?
The scene of his father leading reminded Ahmed of what time in the past?
The scene of his father leading reminded Ahmed of what time in the past?
What type of dance did Ahmed remember his father leading in the past?
What type of dance did Ahmed remember his father leading in the past?
What kind of weather event began as the wind picked up?
What kind of weather event began as the wind picked up?
What action of the wave caused the buoy to detach from the rope?
What action of the wave caused the buoy to detach from the rope?
What was Ahmed feeling in his sneakers?
What was Ahmed feeling in his sneakers?
What did people toss into the sea?
What did people toss into the sea?
What was the woman in front of Ahmed holding?
What was the woman in front of Ahmed holding?
What did Ahmed's father put around Ahmed's torso?
What did Ahmed's father put around Ahmed's torso?
How did Ahmed's father enter the water?
How did Ahmed's father enter the water?
What did Ahmed's father ask the passengers?
What did Ahmed's father ask the passengers?
Where was the engineering student from?
Where was the engineering student from?
What was the engineering student piloting?
What was the engineering student piloting?
What did the slight, wired man take off?
What did the slight, wired man take off?
What was the little girl wearing?
What was the little girl wearing?
Flashcards
Dinghy
Dinghy
A small, inflatable boat often used for short distances.
Panic
Panic
The feeling of great danger or distress.
Defective
Defective
Not working properly or having flaws.
Powerlessness
Powerlessness
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Soothing
Soothing
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False Comfort
False Comfort
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Greek Coast Guard
Greek Coast Guard
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Drown
Drown
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Smuggler
Smuggler
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Terrified Gazes
Terrified Gazes
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Lighten the load
Lighten the load
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Bail out water
Bail out water
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Allahu Akbar
Allahu Akbar
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Father's sacrifice
Father's sacrifice
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Inner tube
Inner tube
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Treading water
Treading water
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One thing in common
One thing in common
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Wiry man
Wiry man
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Ashamed
Ashamed
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Pilot (boat)
Pilot (boat)
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Pride
Pride
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Pinwheel
Pinwheel
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Pitch (of a boat)
Pitch (of a boat)
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Buck (of a boat)
Buck (of a boat)
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Taut
Taut
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Whitecap
Whitecap
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Confer
Confer
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Ebb
Ebb
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Buoy
Buoy
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Study Notes
- The story takes place on a cloudy, moonless July night in the Aegean Sea.
- Smugglers were transporting eighteen men, three women, and four children
Boat Conditions
- The inflatable rubber dinghy was barely ten centimeters above the water.
- The boat was slowly deflating.
- The motor was not starting, and the people feared they would drown.
- Water was soaking Ahmed's sneakers, and people were throwing bags into the sea to lighten the load.
- Some people tried to bail the water out with plastic bottles.
Ahmed and His Father
- Ahmed hugged his life jacket, which was too small for him, reminding him of stories about defective life jackets.
- His father tried to reassure him, but Ahmed was aware of the grim reality.
- Ahmed remembered stories he heard in Turkey about smugglers selling defective life jackets that made people sink.
- Ahmed's father gave Ahmed his great-grandfather's Omega Seamaster watch, a name that now seemed ironic.
- Ahmed confessed to his father that he could not swim.
- Ahmed recalled memories of barbecues and dabke dancing with his father in Aleppo before the war.
Desperate Measures
- Ahmed's father slipped an inner tube over Ahmed's head and torso.
- Ahmed's father left the boat to help pull it.
- Other passengers were from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and none of them could swim.
- An Iraqi man and the captain volunteered to help Ahmed's father pull the boat.
The Storm
- A hard summer rain began to fall, stirring up the sea.
- A large wave swept over the swimmers, causing them to disappear and ripping the buoy off the rope.
- Passengers shone their phone flashlights and shouted, searching for the swimmers.
- The captain and the Iraqi man resurfaced, but Ahmed's father was missing.
- Ahmed thought he saw his father's head in the distance but received no response.
- All Ahmed could see were the endless whitecap waves.
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Description
A group of smugglers transport refugees across the Aegean Sea in a small, deflating rubber dinghy. The motor fails, and the refugees fear drowning. Ahmed, a young boy, reflects on the dangers as his father tries to reassure him.
