Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. Why are the villagers surprised by the narrator’s report of Europe?

2. What is Bint Majzoub “afraid” the narrator would return home with?

3. What items are in the bundle of papers that Mustafa gives the narrator?

4. What opportunity did the man on horseback offer young Mustafa?

5. How does Mustafa personify Cairo?

6. Which position was Mustafa appointed to at age 24?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Who is Mustafa? Describe the narrator’s interest in Mustafa and the villagers’ summary of this character.

2. Summarize the event with Mustafa that “stunned” the narrator. What is the outcome of the situation?

3. Based on Mustafa’s recollection of his youth, how did he find his education? Summarize which cities he attended school in.

4. What crime did Mustafa commit? How does Professor Foster-Keen save Mustafa from being hanged?

5. Who is Isabella Seymour? Describe Mustafa’s recollection of his first meeting with her.

Paired Resource

Information about Sudan

• This encyclopedia entry provides a detailed overview of this northeastern African country.