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Anne Fadiman, Under Water

Anne Fadiman, Under Water

Read Under Water and check your comprehension by answering the following questions.Then “submit” your work.

1. What did the author dislike as a child?

obstructions

coldness

moving backwards

open spaces

2. What activity is the author engaged in during the majority of the piece?

jet skiing

canoeing

surfing

swimming

3. What happens to Gary, a local boy from Rawlins?

He falls out of the raft and the author heroically rescues him.

His boot becomes stuck between two river rocks and, unable to keep his head above water, he drowns.

After falling in the river, he is swept downstream several miles and is later retrieved by a river guide.

He becomes trapped under a capsized boat and is knocked unconscious.

4. What does the author call her thought that Gary looks like the flayed skin of St. Bartholomew?

a distraction from the task of rescue

a crime of inattention

a masterful simile

a misleading euphemism

5. The students and instructors continue to try and save Gary

because they secretly want to bask in the drama of his peril.

to save face and avoid the humiliation of inaction.

because they know without a doubt that they can save him.

because they can hear him calling for their help.