1. Name _____________________________________________________ Period __________________
“The Crew of Flight 847”
A. Finding the Main Idea
One statement below expresses the main idea of the article. One statement is too general, or
too broad. The other statement explains only part of the article; it is too narrow. Label the
statements using the following key:
M—Main Idea B—Too Broad N—Too Narrow
______________1. Terrorists skyjacked a plane and held frightened passengers
hostage for several days.
______________2. Muslim terrorists skyjacked a plane and killed U.S. serviceman
Robert Stethem.
______________3. Flight attendant Uli Derickson and pilot John Testrake showed
great courage after Muslim terrorists skyjacked their plane
and held the passengers and crew hostage.
B. Recalling Facts
How well do you remember the facts in the article? Put an X on the line next
to the answer that correctly completes each statement about the article.
1. When the terrorists first took over the plane, they demanded that the pilot fly to
__________a. Beirut, Lebanon.
__________b. Algiers, Algeria.
__________c. Israel.
2. Derickson begged the terrorists to let
__________a. the old women and young children go.
__________b. her go.
__________c. the navy men go.
3. Algerian officials allowed the plane to land after
__________a. the terrorists threatened to blow the plane up with a hand
grenade.
__________b. receiving a plea from President Ronald Reagan.
__________c. Israel began to release its Muslim prisoners.
4. The terrorists brutally beat and killed a U.S. serviceman named
__________a. Benjamin Zimmerman.
__________b. Clinton Suggs.
__________c. Robert Stethem.
5. After Derickson was released, the hostage crisis continued for
__________a. two more days.
__________b. fifteen more days.
__________c. one more day.
Making Inferences
When you combine your own experience and information from a text to draw
a conclusion that is not directly stated in that text, you are making an
inference. Below are five statements that may or may not be inferences based
on information in the article. Label the statements using the following key:
C—Correct Inference F—Faulty Inference
Also listthe paragraph number where you found the inference.

2. ___________1. All of the Muslims in the Middle East hate Americans. ( )
___________2. Uli Derickson was mainly concerned for her own safety. ( )
___________3. The terrorists who skyjacked Flight 847 were willing to sacrifice
their own lives for their cause. ( )
___________4. Terrorist acts occur frequently in the Middle East. ( )
___________5. Most governments, even those in the Middle East, do not support
terrorists or terrorism. ( )
Using Words Precisely
Each numbered sentence below contains an underlined word or phrase from
the article. Following the sentence are three definitions. One definition is
closest to the meaning of the underlined word. One definition is opposite or
nearly opposite. Label those two definitions using the following key. Do not
label the remaining definition.
1. Less than 20 minutes into the flight, two Muslim terrorists, brandishing
a pistol and holding grenades, took over the plane.
__________a. firing
__________b. concealing
__________c. waving
2. But Derickson bravely persisted.
__________a. stood firm
__________b. helped others
__________c. backed down
3. “We are cooperating,” she cried.
__________a. operating a plane
__________b. working with others
__________c. unwilling to get along
4. The world waited in anguish to see what would happen next.
__________a. elation
__________b. impatience
__________c. great distress
5. Robert Stethem, the other hero, was the sole casualty of the crisis.
__________a. survivor
__________b. dead person
__________c. witness
Author’s Approach
Put an X on the line next to the correct answer.
1. The main purpose of the first paragraph is to
__________a. describe a frightening situation.
__________b. inform the reader about terrorism in the Middle East.
__________c. express an opinion about terrorism in the Middle East.
2. Which of the following statements from the article best describes Robert
Stethem?
__________a. “He said that because he was the only one that wasn’t married,
that he should be the one to die.”
__________b. “One was an American serviceman, a 23-year-old navy diver

3. named Robert Stethem.”
__________c. “Robert Stethem, the other hero, was the sole casualty of the
crisis.”
3. Based on the statement from the article, “She felt a duty to remain with the
plane,” you can conclude that the author wants the reader to think that Uli
Derickson
__________a. felt guilty that she was being released.
___________b. resented her duties as a flight attendant.
___________c. felt a great deal of concern for the remaining passengers.
4. The author tells this story mainly by
__________a. telling different stories about the same topic.
__________b. retelling personal experiences.
__________c. using his or her imagination and creativity.
Summarizing and Paraphrasing
Put an X next to the correct answer for question 3. Followthe directions
provided for the other questions.
1. Look for the important ideas and events in paragraphs 9 and 10.
Summarize those paragraphs in one or two sentences.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Complete the following one-sentence summary of the article using the
lettered phrases from the phrase bank below. Write the letters on the lines.
Phrase Bank
a. the skyjacking of the plane by Muslim terrorists.
b. the release of the remaining hostages
c. the passengers’ ordeal and the bravery of Derickson,
Testrake, and Stethem
The article about Flight 847 begins with _____________, goes on to explain
____________, and ends with ______________.
3. Choose the best one-sentence paraphrase for the following sentence from
the article:
“These 10 had taken over the airport and gained access to the skyjacked plane.”
___________a. The 10 terrorists had gained control of the airport and spoke by radio to
people on the plane.
___________b. The 10 terrorists were attacking people in the airport and on the plane.
___________c. The 10 terrorists had gained control of the airport and bombarded the
plane.

4. Critical Thinking
Put an X on the line next to the correct answer for questions 1, 2, and 4.
Follow the directions provided for the other question.
1. Which of the following statements from the article is an opinion rather
than a fact?
___________a. “Sadly, terrorism had become a part of life in the Middle East.”
___________b. “He’s just an American pig.”
___________c. “The terrorists, who felt that the United States didn’t support Muslims in the
Middle East, hated all Americans.”
2. Based on what the article told about terrorism in the Middle East, you can
predict that
___________a. terrorists will treat Americans with more respect.
___________b. terrorists acts will no longer be tolerated in that region.
___________c. terrorist acts will continue in that region.
3. Choose from the letters below to correctly complete the following
statement. Write the letters on the lines.
In the article, _________________ and ___________________ are different.
a. the gunmen aboard Flight 847
b. Muslim terrorists
c. The Lebanese government
4. How is Uli Derickson an example of a hero?
_____________a. She refused to leave the plane until all the other hostages were released.
_____________b. She died trying to save others.
_____________c. She fought to save others.
Personal Response
I wonder why ________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________