Text-Dependent Questions Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.
1. PART A: Which of the following is a central idea of the article?
A. North Korean leaders should be stripped of their power because of their human
rights abuses.
B. North Korea is a successful communist state that has managed to escape the
influence of western world powers.
C. North Korean leaders force their people to revere them because they are
power-hungry and obsessed with themselves.
D. North Korea is an oppressive state that seeks to create unity by controlling its
citizens’ actions at all times.
2. PART B: Which phrase from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “Because of its desire for ideological unity among all citizens, the North Korean
government has an iron grip over the daily lives of its citizens.” (Paragraph 6)
B. “Students memorize speeches by the Kims, repeat short mantras about the
Kims and “the motherland,” and sing songs about their Great Leader.”
(Paragraph 7)
C. “As a communist nation, the government owns most industries and means of
production, and in order to maintain economic independence, it does not trade
with other countries.” (Paragraph 13)
D. “Most refugees first flee to China, where some North Koreans are permitted to
go for short-term business trips, but the Chinese police often work with North
Korea to capture defectors.” (Paragraph 14)
3. How does the first paragraph contribute to the central idea of the article?
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4. PART A: Which statement best describes why North Korea punishes political deviants?
A. North Korea punishes those who disagree with their politics by censoring some
of their publications.
B. North Korea punishes everyone who does not complete their daily expectations
to perfect standards.
C. North Korea punishes those who disagree with their political ideology because
they might undermine that ideology.
D. North Korea punishes those who argue that North Korea does not embody
communism.
5. PART B: Which phrase from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. “The police can monitor all digital communications, including phone calls and
text messages, and a complex surveillance network lets them know the
whereabouts of any citizen at any time.” (Paragraph 11)
B. “They want to make sure no one is doing anything that might jeopardize the
unity of the country.” (Paragraph 11)
C. “Punishments can include stretches in slave labor camps, torture, or public
executions.” (Paragraph 12)
D. “The United Nations has accused North Korea of crimes against humanity”
(Paragraph 12)
6. How does the author use multiple viewpoints to support her argument in the article? Cite
evidence from the article in your answer.
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Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to
share your original ideas in a class discussion.
1. What are some modern-day freedoms that you have in your country that those in Korea do
not have? How does your ideology differ from North Korean ideology?
2. Why do you think that North Koreans do not rise up and overthrow their government? How
does the North Korean government resist change? Why do North Korean people follow the
crowd?
3. The goal of communism in theory is to create a state that is so equal, it does not require a
government. Why do you think the Kim dynasty, and other communist countries, fail to
achieve or pursue this goal? In the context of this article, how does power corrupt?