Ground Zero

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

Chapters 1-6

Reading Check

1. Which language does Reshmina think is important to speak?

2. Where does Brandon sneak during the kitchen fire?

3. Why is Reshmina surprised to see Americans in her village?

4. What surprising information about women’s fashion does Anaa share with Reshmina?

Short Answer

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

1. Why is Brandon not attending school? What happens as a result of his absence?

2. Compare and contrast the differences between Pasoon’s and Reshmina’s daily lives. Why are their schedules different?

3. Who is Mariam? Why is Reshmina surprised to meet this person?

4. Where does Brandon become “trapped”? Summarize how he attempts to free himself.

5. Compare and contrast the meanings of badal and nanawatai. In which dilemma does Reshmina find herself with these two concepts?

Paired Resource

“Unveiled: Afghan Women Past and Present”

• CNN’s photo gallery of Afghan women’s fashions throughout the 20th century
• How did different political groups enforce different regulations on women’s fashion in Afghanistan?

“Last Elevator Down”

• NPR’s 2011 podcast and transcript of the last three patrons of the Windows on the World restaurant minutes before the 9/11 attack (Content Warning: This resource includes personal accounts of the moments before a plane hit the North Tower and the aftermath for the survivors.)
• Connects with the theme The Power of a Single Day
• How does Brandon’s experience in the elevator compare with the passengers in the above resource?

Chapters 7-14

Reading Check

1. How does Reshmina lead the American soldier back to her house?

2. Why do people call the American soldier Taz?

3. Which sport does Brandon play?

4. What relic of war do the boys in Reshmina’s village like to play on?

Short Answer

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

1. How does Brandon save the people in the elevator? What do he and the other trapped people decide to do?

2. Describe the different journeys that Baba and Pasoon begin.

3. Who does Brandon see while on the 89th floor? Are they able to help him?

4. Who is Richard? What does he decide to help Brandon with?

5. Who are the Kochi? Describe Reshmina and Pasoon’s encounter with the group.

Paired Resource

“A Historical Timeline of Afghanistan”

• PBS’s 2021 timeline of foreign invasions in the Central Asian country
• Connects with the theme Refuge Over Revenge
• Based on the above resource and the novel, how does Afghanistan’s history of invasions shape daily life for people in the country?

Oral Histories of 9/11 Survivors

• 9/11 Memorial and Museum’s compilation of 9/11 survivors’ oral histories
• Connects with the theme The Power of a Single Day
• Compare and contrast the above oral histories with the experiences of survivors in the novel.

Chapters 15-22

Reading Check

1. Why is the group of people in the elevator scared to leave?

2. Why did the American army bomb Hila’s wedding?

3. What does Reshmina discover in the cave?

4. How does Pasoon “call” the Taliban?

5. What does Brandon name the lost people within the North Tower?

6. What drug is made from poppy seeds?

Short Answer

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

1. Summarize Pasoon and Reshmina’s differing opinions of the Taliban.

2. Who is Daphne? How does she support Anson?

3. Who does Brandon call on the phone? Describe what happens during their conversation.

Paired Resource

“Afghanistan’s Drug Trade Is Booming Under Taliban Rule”

• Atlantic Council’s 2022 article on the Taliban’s profitability from exporting drugs
• Based on the above resource and the novel, why does Afghanistan grow and export heroin?

“World Trade Center Bombing 1993”

• FBI.gov’s information on the 1993 World Trade Center attacks
• Connects with the theme The Power of a Single Day
• Compare and contrast the 1993 and 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Chapters 23-30

Reading Check

1. Why can’t the helicopters land on the 107th floor?

2. What does Reshmina realize about the guard of the poppy field?

3. What information does Brandon learn from the security guard?

4. What second language does Taz speak?

Short Answer

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

1. What rare sight does Reshmina see after escaping the poppy fields? Describe how this sighting affects her.

2. What message does Reshmina deliver to her family? Summarize what actions they take upon hearing the news.

3. What does Brandon see as he enters the lobby of the North Tower? What are some of the obstacles that people face as they try to exit the building?

Paired Resource

“A Lesser-Known Photo of an Iconic 9/11 Moment Brings Shades of Gray to the Day’s Memory”

• Smithsonian Magazine’s 2021 article on the backstory of an iconic image (Content Warning: The photo includes images of first responders in the aftermath of the attack.)
• Connects with the theme Survival Requires Teamwork
• Based on the above resource and the novel, how were the recovery efforts on the day of 9/11?

“Afghanistan: Taliban Child Soldier Recruitment Surges”

• Human Rights Watch’s 2016 article on the group’s methods for recruiting children
• Connects with the theme Refuge Over Revenge
• Based on the above resource and the novel, how does the Taliban use children?

Chapters 31-38

Reading Check

1. What toy does Brandon see floating by him in the water?

2. What room does Reshmina discover in the cave?

3. What item did Brandon unconsciously take from the mall?

Short Answer

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

1. How is Brandon able to identify Richard in the darkness? Describe the outcome of the situation.

2. What does Taz say will happen if the US leaves Afghanistan? How does Reshmina respond?

3. Which day does Taz say it is? Describe the reactions of Reshmina and her family.

4. What is the double meaning of “Ground Zero” in the last chapter?

Recommended Next Reads 

Code of Honor by Alan Gratz

• Gratz’s 2015 novel follows protagonist Kamran as he deals with the repercussions of his brother’s supposed allegiance to the Taliban in the wake of 9/11.
• Shared themes include The Power of a Single Day, Refuge Over Revenge, and Survival Requires Teamwork.
• Shared topics include the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Taliban recruitment, and the US military in Afghanistan.
• Code of Honor on SuperSummary

Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis

• Ellis’s 2002 novel centers on Parvana, a young, displaced girl searching for her family after the US invasion of Afghanistan.
• Shared themes include The Power of a Single Day and Survival Requires Teamwork.
• Shared topics include a child protagonist, Taliban recruitment, and the US military in Afghanistan.
• Parvana’s Journey on SuperSummary