For use with “The Most Dangerous Book in the World?” on p. 18 of the March 2016 Scholastic Upfront magazine
1. Mein Kampf is German for
A) “my motherland.”
B) “my camps.”
C) “my people.”
D) “my struggle.”
2. According to the article, Mein Kampf was written
A) when Hitler was serving time in prison for treason.
B) when Hitler began exterminating Germany’s Jewish people.
C) in Hitler’s early days as chancellor of Germany.
D) as a reflection at the end of Hitler’s life.
3. How did Hitler first become chancellor of Germany?
A) He seized power in a coup.
B) He was appointed by Germany’s president.
C) He was the winner of a national election.
D) none of the above
4. Mein Kampf is making news today because
A) it has recently been banned in Germany and other European nations.
B) Hitler’s original draft of the hate-filled manifesto has been discovered.
C) its copyright has expired, allowing it to be published in Germany for the first time in 70 years.
D) it has been printed in the U.S. for the first time.
5. The author notes that Hitler had an “expansionist vision that would lead to World War II.” Which phrase best clarifies the meaning of expansionist?
A) “Hitler blamed them for Germany’s loss . . .”
B) “He aspired to seize power . . .”
C) “He also argued that Germans needed enough land . . .”
D) “He wrote of his desire to foster a pure ‘master race’ . . .”
6. Which question is NOT addressed in the article?
A) Why hasn’t Mein Kampf been published in Germany in 70 years?
B) What’s inflammatory about Mein Kampf?
C) How popular was Mein Kampf in the 1930s?
D) How heavily was Mein Kampf edited before it was first published in 1925?
7. Which inference about Mein Kampf can you draw from the article?
A) Publishers today have very little interest in it.
B) It was used by the Nazi Party to spread the party’s views.
C) It may not have been written by Hitler himself.
D) It was not a big seller until after Hitler’s death.
8. Which phrase from the article best supports EVIDENCE of your answer for question 7?
A) “The state of Bavaria assumed the book’s copyright after confiscating Hitler’s assets . . .”
B) “Free copies were handed out to newly married couples and to soldiers.”
C) “It’s perhaps the world’s most despised book.”
D) “. . . Alan Cranston . . . saw a copy in Macy’s in New York.”
9. Why has it been illegal to publish the book in Germany for the past 70 years?
10. In the article, historian David G. Marwell’s CLAIM is that “barring access to such material [as Mein Kampf] only makes it more attractive.” What do you think he means? Do you agree with his view? Why or why not? Explain your REASONING.