The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

In a small village in Malawi where people had no money for lights, nightfall came quickly and hurried
for farmers to bed.
But for William, the darkness is the best way for dreaming. He dreamed of building things and taking
them apart like
the trucks with bottle-cap wheels parked under his bed and pieces of radios that he’d crack open and
wonder. If I
can hear the music, then where is the band?
His grandpa’s tales of magic also whispered in the pitch black of his room. Witch planes passed
through the
window while ghost dancers twirled around the room, as if a hundred men were inside their bodies. At
dawn in the
fields, William scanned the maize rows for magical beings, then wondered as a truck rumbled past.
How does its engine
make it go? “Pay attention where you throw that hoe!” his father shouted “You’ll cut off your foot.”
For all its power over dancers and flying things, magic could not bring the rain. Without water, the
sun rose angry
each morning and scorched the fields, turning the maize into dust. Without food, Malawi began
to starve. Soon William’s father gathered the children and said, “From now on, we eat only one meal
per day. Make it last.” In the evenings, they sat around the lantern and ate their handful, watching
hungry people pass like spirits along the roads. Money also disappeared with the rain. “Pepani,” his
father said, “I am sorry. You will have to drop out of school.” Now William stood on the road and
watched the lucky
students pass, alone with the monster in his belly and the lump in his throat. For weeks he sulked
under the mango
tree, until he remembered the library down the road, a gift from the American. He found science
books filled with
brilliant pictures. With his English dictionary close by, William put together how engines moved those
big trucks,
and how radios pulled their music from the sky. But the greatest picture of all was a machine taller
than the tallest
tree with blades like a fan. “A giant pinwheel? Something to catch magic?” Slowly he built the
sentences: “Windmills
can produce electricity and pump water.” He closed his eyes and saw a windmill outside his home,
pulling electricity
from the breeze and bringing light to the dark valley. He saw the machine drawing cool water from
the ground,
sending it gushing through the thirsty fields, turning the maize tall and green, even when farmers’
prayers for rain
went unanswered. This windmill was more than a machine. It was a weapon to fight hunger. “Magetsi
a mphepo,” he
whispered: I will build electric wind. In the junkyard, pieces appeared like rusted treasures in the tall
grass. A tractor fan. Some pipes. And bearings and bolts that required every muscle to remove.
“Tonga!” he’d shout to the birds and spiders, holding up his prize. But as
William dragged his metals home, people called out, “This boy is misala. Only crazy people play with
trash!” After many weeks, William arranged his pieces in the dirt: a broken bicycle, rusted bottle caps
and plastic pipe, even a small generator that powered a headlight on a bike. For three days, he bolted,
banged and tinkered while chickens squawked and dogs barked and neighbors shook their
heads, saying, “What’s misala doing now?” His cousin Geoffrey and best friend Gilbert soon
appeared. “Muli bwanji,” they greeted. “Can we help with the electric wind?” “Grab your pangas and
follow me,” he said, and took them into the forest. Together, they
swung their sharp blades into the trunks of blue gum trees, then hammered them together to make the
tower. Standing
atop, William shouted, “Bring it up!” while the boys tugged and heaved. a Crowd gathered below and
gazed at this
strange machine that now leaned and wobbled like
a clumsy giraffe. Some giggled, others teased, but William waited for the wind. Like always, it came,
first a breeze, then a gusting gale. The tower swayed and the blades spun round. With sore hands once
slowed by hunger and darkness, William connected wires to a small bulb, which flickered at first, then
surged as bright as the sun. “Tonga!” he shouted, “I have made electric wind!”
“Wachitabwino!” a man yelled. “Well done!” As the doubters clapped and cheered, William knew he
had just begun. Light could not fill empty bellies, but another windmill could soak the dry ground,
creating food where once there was none. Magetsi a mphepo-electric wind- can feed my country,
William thought: And that was the strongest magic of all
1. The story is about….
a. Problems encountered by William in Malawi
b. William’s struggle to solve the problems
c. The story of a boy who want to feed his country
d. The story of the electric wind discovery in Malawi
e. The story of a boy who made his family proud
2. What kind of person is William?
a. ingenuitive
b. famine
c. teasing
d. insane
e. rushing
3. The purpose of the story is….
a. to describe one of beautiful and enchanting village in Malawi
b. to describe a boy who harnessed the wind in a village in Malawi
c. to explain how many steps needed by a boy to build a windmill in Malawi
d. to entertain the readers with the story of a boy who harnessed the wind
e. to discuss with the readers which energy should be applied in Malawi
4. Could the following statements represent what is told in
the story? Click Yes or No for each statement.
Could this statement represent what is told in the story? Yes No
The windmill can feed people in Malawi : Yes
The William family was poor : Yes
William was inspired to build a windmill after reading science books : Yes
Nobody helped William building a windmill : No
There were some people who question or lack faith in Williams’ effort : Yes
5. “This windmill was more than a machine. It was a weapon to fight hunger” (p. 4). It refers to….
a. a machine
b. windmill
c. the wind
d. the rain
e. the maize
6. “Like always, the wind came, first a breeze, then a gusting gale” (p. 7). The underlined word
means….
a. a building with sails or vanes that turn in the wind and generate power to grind grain into flour
b. burned by flame or heat
c. a very strong wind
d. a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles (such as electrons or
protons) either statistically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as a current.
e. persons who question or lack faith in something

The following test is for question 7 to 10.

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. They had been sharing
machinery, trading a labour and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell
apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference which exploded into
an exchange of bitter word followed by week of silence.
One morning there was a knock on the elder brother's door. He opened it to find a man with a
carpenter's tool box. "i am looking for a few small jobs here and there. Could i help you?"
"Yes1" said the elder brother. " i do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm! That's my
neighbour in fact, it's my younger brother and we don't get along. Last week he dug a wider passage
for water into his farm. But he ended up creating a very wide creek in between our farms and i am
sure he did it just to annoy me. I want you to build me something so that we don't have stand and see
each other's face from across."
The carpenter said, "i think i understand the situation. i will be able to do a job that will please you."
The elder brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready
and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing.
At sunset when the elder brother returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The elder brother's
eyes opened wide and his jay dropped. It was not what he had even thought of or imagined. It was a
bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, beautiful handrails. To
his surprise, his younger brother across the creek was coming to meet him with a big smile and arms
wide open to hug him.
"You are really kind and humble, my brother! After all i have done and said to you, you still show that
blood relations can never be broken! i am truly sorry for my behaviour," the younger brother said as
he hugged his elder brother"

7. What is the text about?

A. Two brothers is dispute.
B. Two brothers having continuously bad crops.
C. Two brothers competing with each other.
D. Two brothers fighting for the carpenter's services.
8. What is actually requested by the elder brother to the carpenter?
A. a pond.
B. a wall.
C. a shed.
D. a barn.
9. What did the little brother feel towards his brother after seeing the bridge?
A. Sad
B. Angry
C. Annoyed
D. Regretful
10. "You are really kind and humble, my brother!"
What is the synonym of the bolded word?
A. Honest
B. Modest
C. Diligent
D. Courageous

Once upon a time, there were mice in a big house. They were so happy because they could
get food easily. Their numbers were increasing. The mistress of the house did not like the
mice. She wanted to get rid of the mice.
One day, she brought home a clever cat. The cat always guarded the pantry. She caught every
mouse that came closer. No mouse had succeeded to enter the pantry. They never heard when
the cat moved from its place until it was to late.
Their numbers kept decreasing. All mice started to worry and arranged a meeting to find a
solution.
"The cat is very dangerous," said the young mouse. "because she's sly and sneaky. She tiptoes
along on little padded paws. We never even hear her coming!"
"The assembled mice nodded in agreement.
"My suggestion is," continued the young mouse. "that we tie a bell around the cat's neck.
That way we could hear whenever she tried to sneak up. We'd always have time to run and
hide."
All the mice burst into a big round of applause. This was a wonderful idea, it was generally
agreed.But then and old mouse stood up slowly. He had to strain to be heard by all the mice.
"The young mouse's idea sounds good," the old mouse said. " But now we have a new
problem. Who will hang the bell on the cat?"
Every mouse in the meeting was silent.

11. What was the problem of the mice?

A. The mice' food.
B. The mistress.
C. The house cat.
D. The young mouse.
12. Why did the mice feel happy in the meeting?
A. The cat caught the mistress of the house.
B. They had successfully taken the cat down.
C. They got the answer for their problem.
D. The mistress brought a cat home.
13. Why were the mice silent after they had a good solution?
A. They did not understand the idea well.
B. They were afraid to carry out the idea.
C. They disobeyed to do the idea.
D. They did not have the tool needed.
14. The mice arranged the meeting because they ....
A. want
B. wants
C. wanted
D. had wanted