Read the excerpt from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba.

Question

One Saturday, Gilbert met me in the library and we flipped through books we thought might be fun. I couldn't study all the time. One book that caught my attention was the Malawi Junior Integrated Science book, used by Form Four students. Hmm, I thought, and flipped it open. There were lots of pictures and diagrams, which I found easy to understand. I saw pictures of cancer and scabies and children stricken with kwashiorkor, like so many who'd wandered the country. One picture had a man in a shiny silver suit walking on the moon.

Why is context important for the reader to determine the meaning of “kwashiorkor” in the excerpt?

The context makes it easier for the reader to make sense of events.
The context clarifies unfamiliar words in the text for the reader.
The context shows the reader why certain events are important.
The context provides the introduction to the text.

Answer 1

The correct answer is: The context clarifies unfamiliar words in the text for the reader.

In this excerpt, the mention of "kwashiorkor" is made in the context of pictures and diagrams related to children who are suffering from various illnesses. This context helps the reader understand that kwashiorkor is a condition related to malnutrition, which is relevant to the discussions of the health issues depicted in the book. Without this context, the term may remain unfamiliar to the reader, but the surrounding information aids in grasping its meaning.