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Navajo Code Talkers: The Century’s Best-Kept Secret

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Last updated about 3 years ago
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Read the information passage "Navajo Code Talkers: The Century’s Best-Kept Secret" and answer the text-dependent questions below. 
Question 1
1.
In paragraph 1, the word __________ best helps the reader understand the meaning of the word "Clandestine."
Question 2
2.

Question 3
3.
The author begins and ends the selection with references to successful battles in order to __________
Question 4
4.

Question 5
5.
In paragraph 1, the author mentions “guttural noises and complex intonations” in order to __________
Question 6
6.

Question 7
7.

Question 8
8.
From the information included in the table from the Navajo Code Talkers’ Dictionary, the reader can learn __________
Question 9
9.

Who first suggested using Navajo for military radio communications?
The son of missionaries
A Navajo Marine
A Code Talker
A communications expert
Read these sentences from paragraph 2.
"In the 1940s there was no such thing as a “secure line.” All talk had to go out onto the public airwaves.
The author includes this information to —
demonstrate technological advances during the twentieth century
establish the need for an unbreakable secret code
explain why Pearl Harbor was vulnerable to attack
question whether the right to free speech should be protected during wartime
Which of these best illustrates how much the general public knew about the Navajo code immediately following World War II?
Illustrates the public knew
Does NOT illustrate the public knew
Its application in World War II as a clandestine system of communication was one of the twentieth century’s best-kept secrets.
A hand grenade was “potato,” and plain old bombs were “eggs.”
That was the situation in 1942 when the Pentagon authorized one of the boldest gambits of the war.
It wasn’t until 1968, when the military felt convinced that the Code Talkers would not be needed for any future wars, that America learned of the incredible contribution a handful of Native Americans made to winning history’s biggest war.
Each Talker was so valuable, he traveled everywhere with a personal bodyguard.
Which of these is the best summary of the selection?
Too little credit has been given to the Navajo Code Talkers, who played a decisive role in the American defeat of Japan during World War II. If more people were aware of their contribution, there is no doubt that the Code Talkers would be celebrated and honored throughout the United States.
Navajo-speaking Code Talkers played an important role in the struggle against the Japanese during World War II. Because of the complex and unfamiliar nature of the Navajo language, the Code Talkers were able to broadcast messages over the radio that couldn’t be deciphered by the Japanese.
During the early part of World War II, the Japanese were able to figure out any secret code used by the U.S. military. To solve this problem, the Marines created a special alphabet used by Navajo soldiers to send messages the Japanese couldn’t decipher.
At the beginning of World War II, the Navajo language was perfect for use as a secret code. It had never been translated into another language, and because it had no alphabet, it had never been written down. The only people who knew the language were native speakers in the United States. Before the language could be used for coded communication, an alphabet and spelling system had to be developed for it.
What is one purpose of the caption accompanying the photograph of the Code Talkers?
It details how the Navajo code was developed.
It offers a brief history of the Code Talkers.
It demonstrates why the Japanese were unable to break the code.
It underscores the unique characteristics of the Navajo language.