Stories From Gaza

1. What is the deeper psychological reason Mahmud Bala'wi is scared of flies?

• A) He is worried about the diseases they carry
• B) They remind him of the overflowing sewage in the market
• C) His fear of flies is part of a larger trauma related to any flying object, which he associates with war
• D) He was once bitten by a fly and had a severe reaction

2. What is the underlying reason Mahmud Najem's mother yelled at him when he returned without bread?

• A) She believed he was lazy and didn't wait in the queue
• B) She was angry at the high price of bread
• C) She was unaware of the traumatic bombing he had just witnessed
• D) She knew he had given the bread to someone else

3. In Mahmud Najem's monologue, why were people collecting paper from the streets?

• A) To clean the city for a festival
• B) To sell it for extra money
• C) To use it for baking because electricity was disconnected
• D) To use it for writing letters

4. According to Mahmud Bala'wi, what is the only thing that helps him dream?

• A) The refugee camp
• B) The sea
• C) The dirty market
• D) The stories of his brothers

5. Why does Mahmud Bala'wi feel fear when the clock shows 11:55?

• A) It is the time for a daily curfew
• B) It reminds him of the time a war started
• C) He is afraid of being late for school
• D) It is a time when he feels most lonely

6. How did Yasmeen Katbeh's personality and relationships change after returning to Gaza from Russia?

• A) She became more withdrawn and fearful
• B) She grew distant from her mother and friends
• C) She became more outspoken, brave, and closer to her mother
• D) She decided she wanted to move back to Russia permanently

7. What event caused chaos and casualties while Mahmud Najem was waiting in the bread queue?

• A) A sudden sandstorm
• B) A fight breaking out over bread
• C) Israeli planes bombing the area
• D) The bakery running out of flour